Under Your Skin
by Trinity Everett
Summary: A series of stories about two people who've gotten it together, and want to make it last. Tony/Michelle. Pre-Season 2. Some stories adult in rating!
1. Girls Night Out

Title: Girls Night Out

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler, Tony Almeida, OC – Heather, Amy

Word Count: 1, 431

Rating: PG

Summary: Michelle's friends pepper her with questions about her new crush.

Author's Notes: Pre-Season 2. I don't write too many of these, simply because I'm not in their headspace as well during this time, but this one was fun to write. In fact, it's sparked at least two follow-ups, and I'm contemplating more if the inspiration comes and the interest is there from my readers. Also, jurojin wins a prize for reading my mind; she asked me if I had written any during this time period about a day after I finished the sequel to this one.

* * *

"So, spill it. How are you really?"

Michelle Dessler took a deep breath, looking away from the bar where Amy was waiting for their drinks. Her friend was schmoozing the bartender with her usual flirtatiousness: twirling her sleek blonde hair, tossing her head back and laughing uproariously at everything; Michelle didn't know how she did it. Flirting had never come naturally to her, though. And certainly not flirting only the goal of free drinks in mind.

"Michelle?"

She focused on Heather, smiling apologetically for her inattention. She'd been preoccupied a lot lately, and really there was only one reason.

"I'm okay. Just tired."

Heather smiled sympathetically. "Work still rough?"

Michelle shrugged one shoulder, fingering her napkin. "It's not that bad. There's a lot to do, and things are so different at CTU. It just saps my energy."

"But it's better than before?"

"Oh yes. And definitely better than working with _her_."

Heather nodded. "Speaking of, how's Danny?"

Michelle sighed. That was an entirely different story. "He's coping. He has good days and bad days. He doesn't like the meds he's on, but as long as he takes them, Janet lets him see the kids, so that's something. I keep telling him it'll get better."

Heather nodded again, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. "It will. And a couple of drinks for you won't hurt, either!"

Smiling at that, Michelle nodded. "So what's new with you?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. Work, David, school."

Michelle brushed her flippancy aside. "How's school? Is design school everything you hoped it would be?"

Heather laughed, flicking her rust-colored hair behind her ear. "It's fantastic. But it's a lot of work. Used to be me who always went to bed first, now it's David. Poor baby complains that he never sees me anymore."

Michelle nodded. "Justin had those same complaints after I went to CTU."

"How'd you fix that?"

Laughing derisively, Michelle leaned back in the booth. "We decided not to see each other anymore. He wanted to settle down, wanted _me_ to settle down, and he told me it wouldn't work out the day after I pulled my first double at CTU."

"Aww, honey," Heather stopped when she shook her head.

"It's okay. He's doing okay, I think. I saw him one of the days I had to go back over to Division, we talked. It's really not that big a deal."

Heather's eyes narrowed. "Wait, it's not that big a deal? Michelle, you dated this guy for two years. Why is it not that big a deal?"

Michelle looked away, biting her lip to conceal the grin she was suddenly wearing, just thinking about him. "Well… there's this guy."

"A _guy_?" Heather echoed as the confusion faded and a smile grew. Her interest was clearly piqued.

Michelle looked around, just to be sure that the subject of their conversation wasn't going to suddenly walk past. It always happened that way; her thoughts would turn to him, and there he was. She'd once tried to ask one of the other analysts about him, and he'd come over with orders. She was sure he'd heard her asking about him, and it flustered her to think that he probably thought she was an annoying gossip.

"Yes, a guy," she answered finally, satisfied that he wasn't lurking nearby. Her cheeks warmed when Heather rubbed her hands together gleefully. She hadn't meant to say anything, but her friend knew her too well.

"What's this 'guy's name?"

Amy joined them a few seconds later, having gotten her way at the bar. "What's whose name?"

Heather took two of the glasses from the tray Amy was carrying, passing one to Michelle.

"Michelle and Jason broke up. She's not heart broken, though, because there's another guy who's piqued our Michelle's interest," she explained.

Amy squished into the seat with Michelle. "And you've neglected to mention this?"

"I'm telling you now," Michelle pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"Who is he? What's his name?" Amy peppered her with the same questions as Heather.

Michelle lowered her eyes. "His name is Tony."

"Oooh, I like Tonys," Amy cooed, ignoring Heather's teasing that she liked _all_ men. "Tell me more."

Michelle snickered. "We work together. Actually, he's technically my boss."

Her friends made a noise at that.

"What's he like?"

"Is he cute?"

"Come on, Michelle, you've gotta give us more than that!" They begged in unison.

Michelle covered her face with her hand, laughing.

"He's," she trailed off, thinking about him. He wasn't the type of man she usually went for, but she was completely taken with him. "He's got dark hair, dark eyes."

"Nice eyes?" Heather asked. Taken or not, her friend was definitely an eye girl.

Michelle bit her lip, nodding. Tony's eyes were completely incomparable; deep, soulful, penetrating. She went home wobbly when he was the last person to speak to her at night. "Very nice," she was able to say finally, scrubbing a hand across her flaming cheek before taking two large gulps of her beer.

"How tall?" Amy demanded. She was in it for someone who could surpass her 5'10" height, and she never let them forget that.

"He's a little bit taller than you, but not much."

Amy scoffed. "Too short."

"For you," Heather retorted, making Michelle grin. They'd been friends since the fourth grade, they knew just about everything about each other.

Without prompting, she continued. "He's lanky, but he's so… I almost want to say graceful, in how he walks. He's in really good shape, he was a Marine for a while, but he definitely works out now. I saw him leaving one day in his work out clothes…" She trailed off, burying her face in her hands. "Oh, God, I can't believe I'm telling you this."

Amy shook her head. "Of course you're telling us this, Michelle. We're your best friends."

"What's he like, though?" Heather asked. "'Cause if he's a jerk, we're putting our feet down on that."

Michelle shook her head. Tony wasn't like that, most of the time. He was impatient and he could be rude, but he usually didn't mean anything by it. He was second in command, he had responsibilities, and he got upset. He was a little high strung, but that didn't make him a bad guy.

"There are times when he looks at me like I'm the only one in the room, and then sometimes he looks at me like I've got the plague," she admitted, taking another sip of beer. "He almost kissed me today, and instead he bolted out of the room like I'd slapped him."

Heather and Amy shared a glance. "Michelle, it sounds like he's –"

"It's not that bad," she retracted. "His last relationship ended really publicly. It was someone he worked with, so I guess he's just scared of me being like that."

"It's probably 'cause you're so goddamn cute." Amy tweaked Michelle's nose. "He just wants you so bad and he doesn't know how to go about wooing you."

Michelle wondered if she might be drunk on half a beer, because she just pouted. "He could try asking."

"Maybe _you_ should ask," Heather suggested.

Michelle shook her head, feeling her cheeks flame. She was not going to be that bold. There was no way she could just go up to him and throw herself at him. No to mention she'd probably die of embarrassment when he said no.

"I can't."

"Aww, honey. But if you like him… isn't that worth giving it a shot?"

Michelle shrugged. "I work with him and I want to keep working with him. I can't jeopardize that."

"Understandable."

"Not to me," Amy muttered, rubbing Michelle's back. "Just don't pine for him, okay? It doesn't solve anything and makes you unhappy, too.

Michelle nodded. "I'm not pining, I just-"

"You want him."

Caught, Michelle dropped her head onto Amy's shoulder. "I do," she groaned. "I really, really do. You should see him, though; you'd understand if you did."

Amy laughed. "He _has_ gotten under your skin. You're usually so much better at hiding these things, even from us."

Michelle nodded, feeling slightly pathetic. She'd spend far too much time contemplating what it would be like to wake up in the morning beside Tony Almeida.

"Really Michelle, and you know I'm not one to argue for us girls to make the first move, but if you want him this badly, you should talk to him." Amy looked to Heather for agreement, which she gave.

"Think of it this way, he probably wants to be with you, too."


	2. Brother Knows Best

Title: Brother Knows Best

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler, Tony Almeida, OC – Sebastian Almeida

Word Count: 1,342

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Tony's brother has something to say about Tony's love life.

Author's Notes: This is a companion/sequel to "Girls Night Out," though it can be read standalone. Both are stories in what I'm now dubbing the "Under Your Skin" series. Takes place between seasons 1 and 2.

* * *

"So, is she hot?"

Tony Almeida ignored the question in favor of dribbling to one side of court he and his brother had confiscated for the afternoon. His eyes narrowed as he considered his options: take the shot now, or move out and go for three.

"Is she hot?" Sebastian repeated, looking at him like he was stupid.

He spared a sideways glance, feigning confusion. "What're you talking about?"

"Whatever, Tony. Whoever she is that's got you so distracted. You always beat me, remember?"

Tony laughed at his brother's expense, even though his thoughts instantly went back to earlier in the day when he'd fled her presence like the coward he was. He remembered how fucking good she smelled, and how warm her hand was on his arm as she stopped him mid-sentence to make her point: he was wrong about the subnet, even if he didn't want to admit it. He remembered the way her chest rose as she took a deep breath and licked those distractingly, tantalizingly pink lips of hers. Altogether, _she_ was almost always the subject of his thoughts, but today was entirely different. He'd wanted so badly to pull her in and kiss her until they both couldn't breathe and the decision was made to either get out of there, or make sure the door was locked. And instead, he'd run.

He shook his head, taking his shot and missing, much to Sebastian's amusement. The ball rebounded directly into his hands.

"Seriously, Tony. It's not funny to keep your own brother in suspense. I _know_ she's hot, because you were just thinking about her, and you never miss that shot."

"Shut up."

Sebastian laughed, grabbing the ball from Tony's hands. Tony watched in amusement as he dribbled poorly, losing the ball at least once.

"So?"

"So what?"

Sebastian scoffed. "You're down by enough to make it better if you just cut your losses and spill it. Start with her measurements."

Tony slapped the back of his brother's head, completely unamused by that.

"Okay, okay. I'll settle for her name."

A little more satisfied, Tony sighed, crossing his arms. "Michelle."

Sebastian repeated it, as if trying out her name for himself. Tony just rolled his eyes.

"Sounds cute. Is she cute?"

"I thought you said she was," he offered, shifting his feet and hoping to get back to the game. The fun game of basketball with his brother wasn't quite so fun (or nearly as distracting) anymore.

"What's she look like? Hair? Eyes? Ass? Ra-?"

Growling, Tony wrestled for the ball. "You're pushing it, Baz."

"I'm just asking!" Sebastian shrugged. "You obviously wanna do her, so I want to know."

Shaking his head, Tony shoved his brother out of the way. Baz was right, despite his appalling lack of tact; Tony _did_ want her.

Two more missed shots later, he sighed, turning back to his entirely too amused little brother.

"She's gorgeous, okay? Dark curly hair, big brown eyes."

Sebastian dropped to the ground like Tony was telling him a story. "Yeah?"

Tony sighed, looking away. He already felt like a pig for even considering telling his brother.

"Great figure. Handfuls," he indicated as quickly as he could, watching his brother's eyes roll back a little in his head. "She wears these heels that just make her legs look amazing. She probably doesn't even realize how sexy she is."

Sebastian made a strangled noise, making Tony grin at that. His brother, all twenty-seven years of him, was a self-confessed leg man.

"You've gotta do it, Tony. Ask her out or something. Or I'm looking her up and doing it for you."

He sighed. "I can't."

Baz sat up straighter. "Why the hell not?"

"We work together."

"So?" His brother shrugged. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Tony gave him a look of disbelief. "Don't tell me Mom didn't talk your ear off about Nina. She practically volunteered to execute the woman herself."

Baz brushed that off. "Oh whatever, Tony. Nina was a bitch from the start; she wasn't even that hot for her to fall back on. Besides, you didn't even really like her."

Tony shook his head. That wasn't the point. It was about not getting involved with another coworker. Not only was it against policy – not that it hadn't been before - it was just plain stupid, and he told Sebastian that. His brother, to his annoyance, just waved that off.

"So what's this sexy Michelle like? I take it she's not a bitch like Nina?"

Tony grinned. "She's not a bitch, but I guess people could think she's a hardass. She's never anything but nice to me, though."

"Oh really? Sounds like she might be looking for a little somethin' somethin' from you there, bro."

Tony bit his lip and thought back to the incident earlier. She certainly hadn't pulled away; in fact she'd slid closer, her eyes falling to his mouth with none of her usual subtlety. Not that he had any subtlety of his own, she usually caught him eyeing her boobs at least once a shift.

"It's still not a good idea. Everything works well at CTU the way it is."

"Sure it does, Tony."

Tony sighed. "Shut up." He'd already gotten the 'get back in the saddle' lecture numerous times; he didn't want to hear it again.

"Look, how long have you known her? Has she done anything shady since then?"

He thought. "Four months or so. And no."

"See? Doesn't that make you feel a little better? Four months is a long time to want to get into someone's pants, Tony. It's a wonder you can still walk. You need to tap that, and quick. If not for her sake, but for your sanity."

Tony tossed the ball to his brother with a little more force than intended. "Grow up, Baz. Michelle deserves more respect than that."

Sebastian whistled. "Ahh, respect. The true sign that she's gotten under your skin."

Getting to his feet, Sebastian dribbled twice sloppily before running up and sinking a final, not really graceful, basket.

"First win in two years, baby! Tony, you either need to get laid, or need to get used to losing, 'cause I'm on a roll."

Sighing, Tony sauntered over to pick up the ball, hoping he'd resist the urge to lob it at his brother's head. So he wanted Michelle. He did, there was no denying that. But just because he wanted her didn't mean he _should_ go after her. As mutually attracted as they might seem, it was really not a good idea.

"Why?" Sebastian asked, making him realize he'd said part or all of that out loud.

He scowled. It just wasn't, there was no good way to describe it. He wasn't going to let another woman he worked with make him feel the way Nina had.

"Hey, you never know, she could end up loving your ugly mug. That is, if she doesn't like me better."

Tony turned away at that, trying to ignore the way his stomach stirred at Sebastian's entirely flippant statement. All inappropriate jokes aside, Michelle Dessler _was_ someone he could see himself with for a long time. The _only_ someone he could say that about.

"Maybe," he shrugged, picking up on his brother's final taunt. "But I'm not sure asshole is her type."

"Damn. That's cold, Tony. Really cold."

Laughing, he slapped Sebastian on one sweaty shoulder. "Thanks for the game."

"Thanks for letting me kick your ass."

"My pleasure," he remarked dryly. He'd come to play, not to talk about how badly he needed to get laid, or how smitten he was with another coworker. Though, it had felt good to finally tell someone about Michelle.

"Your reasons for not getting with her suck, just letting you know. There'll always be chicks that play you for a fool, but don't let the ones that won't suffer because of that."

Tony wiped his face on one sleeve. In his heart, he knew that. His head was a different story altogether.

"Yeah, I know."


	3. Turned Up, Turned Down

Title: Turned Up, Turned Down

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler, Tony Almeida, OC – Heather.

Word Count: 1,621

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Two steps forward, three steps back, one step sideways for Tony and Michelle.

Author's Notes: This is the third story in the "Under Your Skin" series. I'm really excited about this series actually, because now that I've established the direction I want to take it in, I'm enjoying the chance to play with the characters in this way. I hope you guys like it too!

* * *

Even though she'd seen him get up from his desk out of the corner of her eye, she still jumped when he appeared beside her. As quickly as she could, she went back to her work, not wanting him to know that he'd startled her. Or that she'd been watching him to begin with. It was a bad habit, and it made her feel almost like a stalker, even though she knew he sort of watched her, too.

"Hey," he greeted softly, shifting his weight awkwardly. His sport jacket flapped slightly as he crossed and uncrossed his arms, apparently trying to get comfortable. He must have something important to say, because he never beat around the bush like this. Usually he just came right out and gave her whatever instructions he had before going about his business. He certainly never lingered by her side.

She glanced sideways, fingers stilling on the keyboard. "Hey."

She ignored the paranoid way he glanced around to be sure that no one was paying attention, instead focusing on the way he kept licking his lips. What could he possibly be nervous about? It wasn't like he had a crush the size of Montana on her or anything. It wasn't like he'd been thinking about what happened the other day and mentally rewriting what happened so that he hadn't fled the scene as soon as his head started to lower toward hers.

"Listen," he began finally, moving to perch on the edge of her desk so he wouldn't be overheard. "Can we talk about what happened the other day?"

Well, now he had her attention. Her eyes left his mouth and met his. God, he looked amused, maybe even pleased, that she'd been staring. All she could really do was nod.

"Uhh, yeah, sure. I'm almost finished," she added, trying to point to the screen in front of her and ended up smacking it instead. Yeah, there was a way to make an impression, flail madly enough to break company property. At least it would make him forget her horrible conversation skills.

Tony nodded, covering up his smirk with his hand. So maybe the jerk _did_ know what he did to her, though now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

"IT in ten?" He bit his lip, waiting for her answer.

Michelle nodded, transfixed by the way his teeth dented his skin. So he wanted privacy for this talk. That could either be good or it could be bad.

He stood and she looked away. Damn, she'd been staring at his mouth_ again_. Maybe he'd take that as a hint and just kiss her already. Or maybe not.

"Ten minutes," she echoed, hurriedly going back to her screen. She did sneak just a little peek as he walked away, though, sadly, his jacket hid everything there was to see.

Ten minutes had never gone by so quickly. She made sure to square her shoulders and take a deep breath before stepping into IT. She just hoped she didn't look too guilty. She had no reason to feel guilty; she was attracted to him, simple as that. He wasn't married, he wasn't involved with someone, he wasn't twice her age, or not even legal yet; she _shouldn't_ be ashamed of being attracted to him.

He looked up from the terminal he was in front of, nodding to her quickly before returning his focus to the computer for just a moment. She had to wonder if it was just for show, if he was just tapping arbitrarily to keep himself busy. Because had it been her, that's what she would have been doing.

Finally, he straightened up, crossing his arms. "Michelle," he began slowly, looking her in the eye finally. Her stomach tightened. He was really serious.

Suddenly, she didn't want him to continue. She didn't want him to let her down gently, or to tell her that he didn't think it was appropriate for them to continue to work together anymore and that he was going to have her transferred to CTU San Diego or something. Whatever it was going to be, she'd rather just let it go.

"Wait, Tony. Whatever you're going to say, let's just forget it, all right? It was a long day, we were tired. It – nothing really happened anyway, so let's just forget it. Okay?"

Tony looked startled by her outburst, but nodded. Relief spread through her. Good. He recognized that it was for the best to just put it behind them. "Yeah, okay."

"Good. So um, I'm going to go back to my desk and finish up for the day. I'll see you on Monday," she said, smiling a friendly, yet professional smile. She could do this. Really, she could.

Tony's eyes dropped from hers. "Yeah," he replied dully, turning back to the computer.

"'Kay," she agreed, turning to leave.

She'd made the right choice. She loved her job, and enjoyed working with him, and she couldn't give that up because they'd almost gotten carried away one afternoon. Really it was for the best.

So why did she feel like going home and crying into a vat of Chunky Monkey ice cream? And why was he standing there, shoulders hunched, like he'd lost a battle with himself?

But it was for the best that they stay coworkers and nothing more.

Wasn't it?

That was the question she asked herself the entire drive home. That was the first question she asked Heather when she picked up the phone. Of course, Heather didn't understand a word of it until she explained, and then it started.

"Michelle Dessler, I cannot believe you!"

Michelle winced, holding the phone away from her ear. Heather might as well have been on speakerphone as loud as she was. Even with four inches between the phone and her ear, Michelle could still hear her.

"I'm sorry, okay? He wanted to talk in private, and I just panicked. I thought he was going to say that he was having me transferred or something."

Heather's voice softened. "I know, I know. I'm just disappointed for you. You said you never got to talk to him alone…you're absolutely certain he was going to say something like that?"

She hesitated. "Well, no, but he didn't exactly shut me down when I said we should forget it."

"But you did kinda shut him down first, though, don't you think?"

"I guess."

"And combined with what you know about his last ex, is it any wonder he didn't get down and beg you to reconsider?"

Michelle flopped down on the couch as Heather's words sunk in. Tony's expression had looked like he was _almost_ considering doing just that. She didn't know him well, but she knew Tony Almeida wasn't a beggar, and that said something.

"Oh no. I'm an idiot. Heather, he looked like-"

"Like you'd punched him in the gut?"

"Yeah."

"Well, now you know for sure he likes you."

The expression was so kindergarten it made Michelle laugh. She had the sudden image of Tony tugging on her ponytail on his way to his station in the morning, or of her emailing him with the question 'Do you like me, y/n?' only to have him add 'Maybe' just to be a smartass.

"That's not really helpful since I apparently managed to tell him that I don't like him, which is so far from the truth it my head hurt."

"I know."

"God, I feel like such a bitch."

"You're not. You're being way too hard on yourself. You do remember that you just got out of a relationship, right? A long one at that. It's difficult to just jump into another one; even with someone you're as attracted to as Tony."

"You're right. You're right."

Heather's voice was soothing. "Breathe, sweetie. It'll all be okay. Just go in there on Monday and tell Tony that you were having an awful day on Friday, you had no idea what you were saying, and yes, you'd really love to jump his bones after he takes you to a nice restaurant and tells you how insanely pretty you are all the time."

Michelle laughed. "I'll sound like a lunatic."

"So just tell him that you thought about it some more and you were wrong, you don't want to forget it because you really think the two of you could be good together. And if he doesn't kiss you immediately –"

"I got it, thanks," Michelle interrupted, sighing.

"So what're you going to do?" Heather prompted a few minutes later.

"I don't know. I'm not sure I should do anything."

"Don't say that, Michelle. Listen, I'll talk to Amy and see what she says about it."

Michelle sighed. "Amy'll suggest a negligee."

"She's not wrong. And make it a burgundy one. To bring out your tan."

Snickering, Michelle made a note of that. "I do want to be able to keep my job, you know. Walking up to his desk in a negligee is out of the question."

"Fine. Save it for your second date then."

"Oh, definitely."

Heather laughed. "Hey, I need to go, class is about to start. I'll call you later?"

Recognizing how pathetic it would be, Michelle declined her charity. "You should go home and make David feel loved. I'm probably just going to have a glass of wine with a TV dinner, take a bath, and go to bed early. Celebrate my singleness by not shaving my legs, or something."

"I'll call you later, Michelle," Heather insisted, making her smile.

"Thanks."

"Hang in there. I have a feeling that you and Tony will work things out."

Michelle bit her lip. "I hope so."


	4. Friends, Flowers, Finallys 1

Title: Friends, Flowers, Finallys

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida, OC – Heather, Amy

Word Count: 5,384

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Sometimes even schemers get rewarded.

Author's Notes: I tried something a little different with this story. I had three different perspectives I wanted to tell this from, so instead of choosing, I wrote them all! This is Chapter 1 of 3.

* * *

"Are you sure we're in the right place? This doesn't look very secret agent-y to me."

Heather Montgomery glanced sideways at her friend and partner in crime.

"Secret agent-y?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Amy's tendency to make up words had always amused her, and that was a new one. Amy just shrugged, making Heather laugh.

"This is the right place. I think." The building in front of them looked almost like a warehouse, but the dark tint on the doors of the entrance had a seal printed on it that was decidedly government-like. They were playing hooky from work to come and cheer Michelle up, having told their bosses they weren't feeling well, they'd better be in the right place.

Amy laughed.

"Shut up, it's not like I hang out at Michelle's office all the time."

Nodding, Amy opened the door, following a few steps behind her. Shifting the bundle she had in her arms, Heather looked around for anything that indicated where visitors should go. All she really saw was a metal detector at one end of a long hallway.

Finally one of the couple people milling around took pity on them. "Can I help you?"

"Please. We're here to see Michelle Dessler," Amy plowed ahead. Out of the three of them, she was the one to always get straight to the point.

Their helper's head bobbed up and down. There was something about him Heather couldn't quite place, but he seemed familiar in his mannerisms. At the mention of Michelle, his eyes flitted away momentarily, which meant that he knew her or knew something about her.

"Michelle's in a meeting."

"Oh," she and Amy answered in unison. Well, damn. So much for their perfect timing.

"We're here to cheer her up," she explained, indicating the flowers in her hand. And for some reason she added, "She's been a little bit down lately."

The guy nodded, looking away again. Her eyes narrowed. What was it about him? When he straightened up, it clicked. He was about Amy's height, dark hair, dark eyes…

"You're Tony, right?" she blurted, just knowing that she'd look back on her audaciousness in embarrassed horror.

His head whipped up, and if it was possible for a grown man to look like he'd gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he did.

Beside her, Amy just grinned. Usually she was the one to open her mouth and insert her foot. Today it was Heather's turn.

Tony scratched his cheek, looking half guilty, half embarrassed that she knew who he was. "Yeah. Tony Almeida. Nice to uh, to meet you both."

"Heather Montgomery," she introduced herself quickly, looking him over while Amy did the same. She could definitely see why Michelle thought so highly of him; he was damn good looking. Professionally dressed, yet slightly rumpled in a sexy way. His eyes were just like Michelle described them; though today he looked kind of like a sad puppy, waiting to be fed. She wondered how often Michelle had to refrain from reaching out and smoothing her hand over his barely-controlled hair; even her fingers itched to scritch the poor man's head.

"Listen," Tony began, pulling her away from her perusal of him. "I'm not sure how long the meeting Michelle's in is going to last. I can't let the two of you come back, but you're welcome to wait out here."

Amy stood straighter, tossing a strand of hair behind her ear. Oh no, that meant she was up to something. Heather just hoped she wasn't going to try to flirt to get him to let them come back. Michelle probably didn't want her friends coming off as sluts to the guy she was infatuated with. "Actually, we both have to get to work. Is there any way you could do us a favor?"

Tony looked a little concerned, but nodded.

Without a word, Amy ripped the flowers out of her hand, passing them over to Tony.

"Can you make sure she gets these, and just let her know we came by? There's no card or anything, but she should know they're from us."

Tony's fingers closed gingerly around the bouquet. His expression was wary, but he nodded anyway. "Yeah, sure."

"Thank you so much. It was nice meeting you." Heather smiled slightly. Well, he passed the visual test at least.

"Hopefully we'll see you later sometime," Amy added, ignoring the decidedly un-stealthy elbow that was sent to her ribs.

The door had barely closed behind them when they whirled to face each other.

"_Why_ did you-?"

"_How_ did you-?"

They laughed. "You go first," also came out in unison.

Insistently, Amy made her go first.

"Why did you ask him to do that? We were here to make her feel better, not worse!"

Amy just smiled, patting her cheeks. "Sweetie, chill. He's going to do one of two things: put them on her desk while she's gone and leave a note, or…" Amy trailed off.

"Or?" she prompted, seeing the wheels in her friends head spinning already. What other option would Tony Almeida consider?

"Nah, forget it. Anyway, you saw him, he's not going to throw things in her face, he couldn't even look you in the eye after you told him she'd been feeling down lately."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I am. And speaking of random leaps of intuition, how the hell did you know it was him?"

Heather shrugged, reaching into her pocket for the car keys and hitting the button on the key fob. "He seemed familiar, and then I realized it was because of how Michelle described him."

Amy thought for a minute, head tilted to one side. "You're right. He was cute. A little too fidgety for me, but cute. And he obviously is attracted to her."

"Which is good," Heather reminded, knowing that if they could convince Michelle to put herself out there a little more, things would work out between those two. "And we _did_ catch him off guard, so that's probably why he was so skittish. I'm willing to bet he's a lot more confident when he's not facing friends of a woman he's not even dating as they demand he take said woman flowers."

Amy laughed, reaching out to adjust the radio. She yelped when Heather slapped her hand away. Even after fifteen years of driving together, it still pissed her off when Amy tried to control the radio.

"He's got it bad for Michelle, that's all I know," Amy added, rubbing her hand with a pout.

"That he does. Sorry, by the way."

"You hit hard," Amy muttered, still pouting.

"Three brothers, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember they wouldn't even date me."

Heather made a face, trying to rapidly change the subject. She didn't want to talk about the times when Amy had tried to woo her big brothers. "So how long are you going to wait to call her?"

Amy just grinned. "Oh, I'll be on the phone before you even drop me off."

"Who says I'm dropping you off? You've gotta walk."

Throwing her hair to one side, Amy laughed. "Shut up and drive, Heather."

In the end, neither of them called until later. Only to find out that Michelle had finally made her move because _Tony_ had given her flowers.

TBC in Chapter 2 of 3.


	5. Friends, Flowers, Finallys 2

This takes place in the same time space as Friends, Flowers, Finallys Chapter 1 (this is chapter 2 of 3)

* * *

It was wrong to do it, but something in him had made the decision to hang onto the bouquet the blonde – Amy? – had passed to him. It wasn't that he didn't want Michelle to get the flowers, because he did. She deserved to get flowers every day, bouquets even bigger, and more colorful than the one her friends had brought her. She deserved to get them from him.

It was his brother's fault. He decided almost immediately that he'd pass the blame to him. He and Sebastian had played ball again on Sunday, and his brother had been able to tell immediately that Tony had made an ass out of himself. Still, neither said anything until Baz went up by five and Tony gave in, stopping play.

"She said she wanted to forget it."

Baz was breathing heavily, and Tony tossed him a bottle of water from the bench.

"No. She didn't! You said you had it in the bag, Tony."

Tony nodded, narrowing his eyes at that. He hadn't said anything like that, except for the casual comment to Sebastian that he was _probably_ going to ask Michelle out. "She did."

"That ain't right," Baz muttered, shaking his head and wiping his sweaty face on his sleeve. "What happened?"

He told him all the gory details. The way he'd fumbled for words to even get her into a more private place, the way she'd broken in just as he started to speak, telling him her preference to let it drop, all of that came out.

Sebastian just groaned. "Jesus, Tony. I can't believe you're the one who taught me how to ask a girl out! What you just told me? Was pathetic. It's no wonder she turned you down, she probably thought you were going to have her fired or something."

He'd denied that swiftly, stopping when his little brother fixed him with a disbelieving look. "How did you approach her about it, Tony?"

"I said we needed to talk. Which we did."

Baz slapped his face against his hand. "Crap, you sound like a chick. 'We need to talk?' Who says that? It's like you were _trying_ to get her to turn you down. Were you trying to make her turn you down?"

Tony scowled. "Of course not." He hated being on the spot. "It's a serious discussion to have."

Baz shook his head. "It's a serious discussion to have _after _you've gotten her in the sack, Tony. It's not a serious discussion to have to say 'Will you share a meal with my sullen, completely clueless ass?' I thought you knew that."

"It's different now."

"Yeah it is. And it's a different girl."

And the discussion had gone on. And on. And finally when he was almost certain Sebastian had convinced him to try again, his baby brother left him with the parting shot,

"Next time, try a _little_ more 'How _You_ Doin'' and a _little_ less 'Let's talk.'"

So really, that's what he'd been thinking when the blonde made that crack about seeing him again soon. A little more 'how _you_ doin' in regards to Michelle. And why shouldn't the flowers come from him anyway? Hadn't the redhead implied somehow that he was the reason Michelle was 'down'? Obviously she'd told her friends _something_ about him, since at least one of them knew his name. Actually, they probably knew everything that had happened since day one. Because that's how women were, they told their girlfriends everything. For some reason, the idea that a couple of perfect strangers knew what a wuss he was emboldened him.

So as soon as Michelle was back at her seat, he carried the flowers over.

"Hey," he greeted, his voice clear. To his surprise, Michelle didn't even jump this time, but her eyes did go wide when they saw the flowers in his hand. "These are for you."

Ignoring what he assumed were more than a few curious stares from the people around them, he placed the flowers down in front of her keyboard. Immediately her fingers reached out and touched one of the buds. "They're beautiful."

He nodded, scratching the side of his face lightly. Her friends had good taste, and he really was an ass for passing the gift off as his own. "Listen, if um, if you ah," he trailed off, resisting the urge to curse. He was doing it again. He was doing it again and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "If you're pretty far along on your stuff for today, would you mind helping me out with a couple of things before we punch out?"

Michelle's eyes sparkled, and she bit her lip. "Sure, Tony."

He released a breath. Well, that wasn't _so_ hard. Too bad he'd managed to ask her to work late with him instead of to have dinner, but it was a start. Nodding, he straightened up, turning to walk away.

"Hey, Tony?" He stopped. Michelle was looking sheepish. "Mason wanted me working through lunch to get some of the new people you hired last week trained…"

"Go to lunch, Michelle. I'll take care of it."

She smiled. "Okay, thanks. And thank you, for the flowers. They really are beautiful. Lilies are my favorite."

He made a mental note and filed it away. Lilies. Her friends had brought her lilies, and those were her favorite flowers.

"Yeah," he lowered his head, moving back to his desk. Well, it wasn't perfect.

But it was a start she was apparently happy to continue, because as soon as most of the day shift had cleared out, she appeared at his desk, ready to help him with whatever tasks he hadn't yet made up. Instead, he was the one following her to check something in IT.

She'd locked the door before he had time to process that she'd lied to get him alone.

"Hey, Michel-oomph." Her mouth was firm against his, one hand buried tightly in his hair while the other caressed his jaw. Her lips parted slightly and he pressed closer. She tasted good; like peppermint and coffee, and a sneaked cookie from the second drawer in the break room.

Abruptly, she pushed away. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I shouldn't hav-"

Stifling her apology with another kiss, he walked her backwards farther into the room, finding the nearest table and seating her on top of it. He pushed her messy curls away from her cheeks, preferring to stroke her skin as his mouth shifted on hers, taking her lip between his teeth lightly.

His thumb was still stroking her cheek when they parted. Meeting her eyes, he grinned. She grinned back.

"How you doin'?" he asked quietly, pressing his mouth onto hers again before settling their foreheads together. Michelle laughed.

"I'm okay."

He kissed her again, unable to stop himself at just one taste. She was sweet, she was addicting, she was Michelle. She'd made him bold again with just a kiss.

"What do you say we, uh, call it a day," he suggested, feeling her frown in disappointment. "I know this great restaurant I've been dying to take you to," he drawled, stroking her cheek again gently.

She nodded quickly, tugging his face close one more time, lips pressing softly against his. This kiss was tender, almost chaste, compared to the others. They both seemed reluctant for it to end, but when it did, she smiled.

"Lead the way."


	6. Friends, Flowers, Finallys 3

This is Chapter 3 of 3 for Friends, Flowers, Finallys. Thanks everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed the story even a little bit.

* * *

She'd known immediately that the flowers probably hadn't been from him, despite his being the messenger. Nobody but her friends knew how much she loved orange lilies, and unless he was psychic, there really was no way he could have guessed. Still, though, she let him think she was clueless, though the only thing she was clueless about was why.

She knew why the girls came by; all weekend 'Operation Make Michelle Feel Less Like a Loser' had been in effect. She'd been dragged out of the house no fewer than three times to either have lunch, dinner, or to get completely plastered in an attempt to make her forget her blunder. Flowers always followed weekends like that. So when she talked to Amy, she got the whole story. She'd been in the meeting with Mason and they gave the flowers to Tony. And then he'd given them to her. It was sneaky, and underhanded, and she knew she could be angry - she _should_ be mad - but really, it was… adorable. Misguided, but adorable.

"Well, I thanked him already, but thank you guys, too. For trying to cheer me up."

"Sounds like Tony did that for us, since you apparently took the bait."

Her cheeks flamed and she looked around, despite being alone in the car. She still wasn't entirely sure what had possessed her to lead him to IT and then grab him like that, but the fact that she was on her way home to get ready for a date meant it had been a good idea.

"I had a feeling that would happen, him keeping the flowers," Amy added.

She laughed, so Amy had set him up, kind of. "What'd you say to him?"

"We introduced ourselves and just asked him to make sure you got them. Sounds like he made sure you got a lot more, too," Amy teased. "Shows were we stand, though, since you didn't bust him for it."

"Shut up, you know I love you guys. I just-"

"You're gaga for him."

Grinning stupidly, Michelle nodded. "I am."

"And now you're going out, so it all worked out the way we wanted anyway."

Michelle laughed again. "Very true. Now I just have to get home and get ready."

Though they both had wanted to go straight to dinner, common sense and good date etiquette dictated that they go home to clean up a little first. She definitely wanted to fix her hair and makeup, maybe take a shower if traffic allowed. So far it was cooperating well enough, she was about ten minutes from home and it was only six fifteen. Tony wasn't picking her up until seven thirty.

Amy made a happy little noise. "I'll be waiting by the phone for a report. I wanna know everything tonight."

Her cheeks warmed. "Maybe I should call you tomorrow."

"Michelle!"

"What? Might as well go for broke, right?"

"I always knew you had it in you."

"Not yet," she quipped, immediately covering her face with her hand. Amy brought out that side of her. The side that spoke first and realized the level of inappropriateness later.

"Just make sure you're safe."

"Of course. Anyway, I better let you go; we're picking up speed again."

"Alright. Bye, sweetie."

"Bye."

She was home just fifteen minutes later, and showered as quickly as she could before almost crying in despair. It'd been so long since she'd been on a real, honest to God first date, she was suddenly feeling lost. What should she wear? How sexy should she try to be? No matter what she'd said to Amy, she was safely confident that she was _not_ going to sleep with Tony on their first date, not after so many false starts, but that didn't mean she didn't want to impress him and make him want her, right?

Somehow she managed to dress herself without any intervention necessary (though she had considered getting Heather and Amy over), settling on a pretty dress she'd bought with the intent of convincing Justin to actually take her out somewhere. Her plan, of course, had backfired, which was probably good because she would've felt strange wearing a dress on her first date with Tony that had been already taken off her body by another man. The dress had every element she was hoping to cover – simple and sexy, but casual and cute – without making her feel like she'd be too dressed up for a place he'd described as fun, but not fancy.

Her hair was a completely different story, messy and all over the place no matter what she tried to do to it. Tony was at her door before she decided exactly what to do with it, and so she just threw it up in a clip and called it a win.

When she opened the door, he handed her flowers. More lilies, these purple. These picked out by him, which made them even better.

"Thank you, Tony," she murmured, dropping a quick peck on his cheek. "I've gotten more flowers today than I have in months."

She noted that the tips of his ears had turned a little pink at that, and wondered how long it would take either of them to fess up. Either way, she was flattered.

"Let me put these in water and we can hit the road, okay?"

He nodded. "Sure."

Conversation between them came easily, which almost surprised her a little, given that until that afternoon, neither of them had managed to say more than about fifteen words to each other without stumbling. But somehow tonight they were just able to talk like two people who were out on a date, getting to know each other.

She learned that he'd actually lived in Chicago until he was about thirteen, and then his father got a job in Los Angeles and their entire family packed up and moved. He had two siblings, Sebastian, who was twenty-seven, and Emily, who was only twenty-two and still struggling through community college. She learned that he was proud of his sister, even if he was hard on her most of the time. He'd gone into the service to get respect drilled into him, and even then some of it (most of it when it came to dealing with Mason) hadn't stuck, but his sister had none of the same experiences. Above all, she learned that for a guy who said very little at work, he could be remarkably chatty outside CTU's doors.

For his part, he learned that she was a November baby, her brother was older than her, going through a divorce with two young children, and that she'd spent most of her life in southern California, with exception of the time her mother and father had decided to spend almost a year traveling with their family. He found out she loved red wine and fruity drinks, and only went out with her crazy friends once in a while, which, despite his poker face seemed to reassure him.

She laughed, asking him how he'd liked her friends. The look on his face was sheer panic and she just snickered.

"How'd you find out?" he asked finally, glancing over at her. She smiled lopsidedly.

"They've been my best friends since the fourth grade and my favorite flower is pretty hard to guess. Not saying you couldn't have, but… we always take each other flowers when it's been a rough weekend."

"Oh." He looked embarrassed. "Listen, Michelle, I'm-"

She laughed, waving him off. "Don't worry. Amy knew you'd probably do that, so she pretty much set you up for it."

"Oh."

Impulsively, she grabbed his hand from off the gearshift, tangling their fingers together. She wasn't usually so forward on a first date, but she'd already made out with the guy once, so a little handholding was probably allowed.

"I wasn't mad," she offered.

Tony's shoulders sagged in relief and she felt him squeeze her fingers.

"Wait, she was setting me up?"

Biting her lip, Michelle nodded. "She's a psychologist. She sort of treats life as a big case study."

Tony glanced to the side, catching her eyes. "Did I pass the test?"

She nodded. He'd certainly passed with her anyway. "As sneaky and underhanded as it was, yes," she teased.

Tony grinned, making her glad to be sitting down. Damn, he was sexy.

The place he'd chosen was really nice; it wasn't a chain restaurant, nor was it a bar, but it wasn't a little hole in the wall place. It was just a small restaurant, almost a diner but without the fifties feel. Looking over the menu, she realized they had a little bit of everything, and he swore it was all delicious. It was eclectic, just like her date.

She settled on a burger, laughing at his expression.

"What?"

Tony shook his head. "You're surprising, that's all."

She flushed at that. "Because I'm having a burger?"

He shrugged. "Well, yeah."

Smirking, she took a sip of her wine – red, of course. "I like burgers, Tony. I like juicy hamburgers and sports, and I even drink beer and put my feet on the table. I'm kind of a slob, actually. I don't do the dishes right after a meal, I leave the bed unmade when I go to work in the morning, I haven't even seen my coffee table in weeks there are so many bills on top of it," she teased.

His grin was teasing, but his eyes were serious when he replied, "I think I'm in love."

"What was it? The unmade bed or the beer?"

"It might've been burgers, actually."

She froze. He was joking, but he really wasn't, she could tell.

Finally, she found her voice, "Yeah, well, don't say that until you've had my cooking."

Tony just smiled.

All too soon their meal was over and she and Tony were fighting over the check. He'd grabbed it as soon as their waiter set it down and refused to give it up, despite her continued insistence.

"Come on, Tony. Half. I ate more than you did anyway."

He snorted, but otherwise ignored her and deposited his credit card in the folder with the check, handing it to their waiter before she could take it. She watched him watch her as he took a pull from his beer.

"You're incredibly stubborn, you know that?" she announced, giving in and sitting back in her chair. Tony smirked.

"It's been brought to my attention once or twice."

After he signed the receipt, he waited for her to indicate that she was ready to go before coming around the table and holding out his hand to her. He was surprisingly chivalrous, she was learning, and he kept on surprising her when he draped his sport jacket around her shoulders before they even left the restaurant.

"You looked cold on the way in," he explained with a shrug.

She smiled slightly, ducking her head. Was this really the same Tony Almeida who refused to look her in the eye for over two days? Jeez, if she'd known that a simple batch of flowers would've freed this version, she would've sent herself some months ago.

"It's only nine," he observed, biting his lip and glancing over at her. "You wanna see if there's something at the movies that looks good?"

She shook her head, watching Tony's face fall. "I was going to suggest getting some coffee," she amended quickly. "Maybe at my place? I probably have ice cream in the freezer if you wanted some of that, too."

Tony thought for just a minute before replying, "Sounds good."

"Just good?" she teased, lightly bumping him with her hip. Tony just bumped back with an easy smile.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked, tentatively slipping his arm across her shoulders.

"Sure." She glanced up at him to see that he was looking suddenly serious.

"I never say the word great anymore."

Her arm slid around his waist, causing him to start slightly. She wondered if her touch really made him that nervous, or if he was simply ticklish. She looked forward to finding out.

"Why not?"

"I was teased a lot when I was a kid, mostly small stuff. My nickname was Tony the Tiger," he sighed. She glanced up sympathetically. She'd been on the receiving end of name calling once or twice in her life; she had a big brother, after all.

"They followed me around chanting 'They're grrreeeeeaaaat!' a lot."

She couldn't help it, she laughed. Just a little, and was able to cover it up quickly.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked. "That really is awful, I shouldn't laugh."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "It's okay, it's funny now."

He opened the door for her when they got to the car, and she released his waist reluctantly. Turning back, she kissed his cheek softly.

"Thank you for dinner."

"You're welcome."

Her hands were shaking a little as she opened the door even though she had no reason to be nervous. Tony was close, but not too close, behind her, shifting his weight every once in a while, resting his hand lightly on her waist.

"Sometimes the lock sticks," Michelle explained sheepishly, even though he could probably see right through her excuse.

"Ya want me to look at it some time?" he murmured, lips close to her ear.

She jumped. "Oh, no, no. It's okay." She finally got the key to turn and pushed the door open, spinning around to beckon him inside. "Coffee?"

"Sure," he stepped inside, closing the door behind them. "Lock it?"

She was already sliding his jacket off her shoulders and draping it over the back of a chair. Her shoes were discarded in a corner on the way to the kitchen.

"Michelle?" he called. "Lock the door?"

"Oh yeah, sure. Thanks."

He joined her in the kitchen a few seconds later, looking relaxed and sexy with his sleeves rolled up around his elbows. He looked good in dark colors. She looked away before he could catch her checking him out.

She finished with the coffee and spun around, smiling slightly. "You don't have to stand in here with me. Go make yourself comfortable, find something on tv or something."

Tony shrugged. "I'm good, don't worry."

"Yeah, baseball season hadn't started yet," she quipped, handing him a mug.

They settled on the couch a few minutes later, chatting amicably. They had a surprising amount in common, despite the small difference in their ages and backgrounds. She'd almost been afraid that they wouldn't have anything to say to each other that wasn't work related. Instead, even the silences weren't uncomfortable. Maybe they really had a chance.

She watched Tony set his empty mug down, waiting for him to speak his mind. Instead his fingers just reached across the back of the couch, touching her cheek.

"Listen, about what happened last week." Tony's thumb brushed the side of her face. "I understand why you said we should forget it."

"I thought you wanted to fire me," she explained sheepishly, feeling him scoot closer. "You were so serious."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that."

She smiled. "So what were you going to say?"

"I don't really know, to be honest with you. Did want to do this, though."

His hand slipped down and he lifted her chin, bringing his mouth to hers. She kissed him back, reaching up to slide her fingers into his hair and tug his head closer. His lips were warm and soft, and his kiss coffee flavored. It was sweetly intoxicating and it was all she could do not to melt into his touch.

He was a good kisser, demanding but still gentle, and when she pulled away to take a breath, his forehead landed against hers. She smiled, brushing their lips together again and tracing the curve of his jaw with her index finger.

"That would've been good."

"Yeah."

"I kicked myself all weekend long," she admitted.

Tony laughed, tugging her close. "I did too."

"And so you swiped my flowers to woo me back?" she teased, nipping lightly at his mouth.

"Uh huh."

"Very inventive." Another kiss left her breathless.

"I thought so too."

They were both breathing heavily when they pulled apart. Tony licked his lips, pushing a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"I think I better go. Before I can't."

She nodded, knowing it wouldn't be smart to ask him to stay, even though she wanted to. There _was_ going to be plenty of time for that later.

Disentangling herself from him, she stood, smoothing her skirt down over her thighs. Tony stood as well, cupping her cheeks and pecking her lightly on the mouth.

"I had a great time tonight."

Smiling broadly, she nodded. "Me too."

"Do you have plans for tomorrow?" he asked, walking toward her front door.

She shrugged, taking his hand and squeezing his fingers. "Just work and then maybe getting some take out for dinner."

"Sounds like my plans. Why don't we just get one order of take out and eat at my place? Spare the delivery kid a trip across town."

She laughed. As if they'd be ordering from the same place. "Sure. Just to be fair to the kid and all."

Tony smiled and kissed her again, drawing her closer to him and making her moan into his mouth. He stepped away gingerly, lifting a hand to touch her cheek.

"I'll see you at work."

"Mmm," she answered, reluctantly letting him go. That she would.


	7. As Deep As The Sky

Title: As Deep As The Sky

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida

Word Count: 5,835

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Putting an end to the build-up and falling a little harder sometimes go hand in hand.

Author's Notes: This is the next story in the 'Under Your Skin' series. It's not necessary to read the previous stories, but please take note that this is currently a Pre-Day 2 AU series, so details are not the same as what was canon on television. All previous stories can be found above.

* * *

She was gorgeous when she slept. Hell, she was beautiful all the time, but tonight he was damn near awe-struck by her. Her hair was down, falling over her eyes in ways that begged for him to brush her curls aside. She shifted, lips smacking when he did, and that made him smile.

He felt bad for waking her, but knew almost instantly that he'd never tire of seeing those long eyelashes flutter to reveal her beautiful big eyes.

His thumb brushed her lower lip and he bent his head, kissing her gently. Michelle smiled slightly against his mouth, fingers connecting with his jaw as his hand cupped the back of her head.

"Sorry," she murmured sleepily, nuzzling her face into his neck and yawning. "I missed the end of the movie, didn't I?"

He grinned, lifting her chin and kissing her again. Since that first kiss, he hadn't been able to get enough of her. "Sweetheart, you barely saw the beginning."

Michelle flushed. It wasn't the first time he'd called her that, but usually she ignored it. "Sorry," she apologized again, like he was going to be angry about her being tired even though he knew she'd worked all night long.

He'd seen her eyelids drooping as early as when their drinks arrived at dinner. That was why he'd suggested skipping the trip to the theater and watching a movie at his place instead. When she agreed, he even got two more desserts boxed up to take home. Those desserts were still on the coffee table, untouched, because Michelle had conked out against him almost as soon as the opening music started.

"It's okay," he assured, gathering her closer. "I ate your cake, though."

Michelle laughed, turning her head to find both boxes still there, clean forks resting atop them. "Tony, you're such a liar."

"Yeah, maybe," he smirked, smoothing his hand down her back. He was trying to keep it as polite as he could – he had been for three dates now – despite the way she was draped across his lap, so he did his best to make sure his hands never dipped past the small of her back. "Think you're awake enough for it now?"

Michelle nodded, sitting up slowly. Instead of grabbing both, she grabbed just one box, opening it up and getting a piece of cake on the fork before offering it to him. For some reason, it gave him a ridiculous little thrill of pleasure to have her feeding him cake and then taking her bite off of the same fork. Not to mention his breath sped up each time she licked the icing off the prongs before getting another bite lined up for him. He groaned when she took the final bite, eyes closed in bliss.

"Don't do that, Michelle," he warned.

Her eyes slid open, and she licked her lips quickly, a sultry smile playing at her lips. "Do what?"

"You're not allowed to enjoy cake quite that much."

"Oh yeah?" she challenged, shifting her legs underneath her on the couch and moving closer to him, all traces of tiredness gone from her demeanor. "Why not?"

Instead of answering, he tugged her against him, covering her lips with his and sweeping his tongue into her mouth. She tasted like the amazing chocolate cake they'd just finished together and it made him kiss her harder.

"I have never been so jealous of a fork in all my life," he panted when she finally released his lips.

Michelle giggled, kissing him again softly. "Don't be," she promised, tongue poking out to lick the corner of his mouth. "I like this way much better."

So did he. Even the sweetest chocolate would never taste as good as it did on Michelle's tongue. Then again, it was quite possible he would never enjoy coffee, beer, or any of the other tastes she'd shared with him the same way, either.

"Tony?" she murmured, kissing her way to his ear. "It's okay to touch me. I'm not going to slap you."

Her arms slid around his neck, sliding into his hair as her lips pressed against his. He kissed her back, even though his hands remained stationary against her spine.

"Unless you don't want to," she added lightly, teasingly. "We could always just sit here and hold hands for the next two dates."

He narrowed his eyes, dragging her down onto his lap, proving to her how unwilling he was to just sit there and hold hands. She drove him crazy under the most normal of circumstances, having her here and so close was enough to completely fry his brain. He'd wanted her from day one, he wanted her now.

"You wanna stay?" he asked quietly, moving her hair out of the way and kissing her neck. She didn't say anything, but she did stiffen a tad. "Once I start touching you, Michelle, I'm not sure I can stop," he admitted. "But if it's too soon-"

She pushed far enough away to meet his eyes. Instead of turning him down, she smiled bashfully. "I have a confession to make."

His hand slid down her back and around to touch her leg. Her skirt had ridden up to reveal two smooth, pale thighs and he took the opportunity to see if her skin was really as soft as it looked. It was.

"If you tell me you've got your period, Michelle, I'm gonna tell you I don't give a damn and you can think I'm gross all you want."

She laughed, shaking her head and cupping his cheeks. "I'm not on my period, Tony. But that's good to know."

She scratched lightly behind his ear, drawing a contented hum from his lips, which she echoed in her kiss.

"I brought my toothbrush tonight."

He nuzzled her jaw. "You could've used mine, but I like that you plan ahead."

She rocked against him slowly. "Seducing Tony tip number one: clean teeth," she teased.

He disagreed. "Seducing Tony tip number one: being Michelle Dessler."

She flushed.

"It's true," he promised. "You've been seducing me since the moment you shook my hand. I've just been keeping my distance-"

"Because of what happened between you and Nina?" she asked quietly, touching his cheek. He nodded, feeling sheepish that even she knew about it. His relationship with Nina hadn't been one of his more shining moments.

"Yeah."

Another easy smile touched her lips and she bent, kissing him softly. "So you think I just want you for your information?"

He shook his head rapidly, holding her lips to his, unable to get close enough.

"Good," Michelle assured. "'Cause I could care less about your information. I want in your pants for other reasons."

He laughed. "Me too."

She backed off of his lap, standing before him looking anxious all the sudden. That seemed to pass quickly and she straightened up a little more.

"So are we done talking?" she asked with a grin, tilting her head.

He nodded. "Yeah, we're done." He stood, reaching out and lifting her against him. Her surprised squeak was swallowed in a kiss and he started carrying her toward his bedroom, stopping only to tug her leg higher around his waist.

"Wait, wait, Tony, wait," she squirmed. "My purse."

"You can brush your teeth later," he promised, shouldering open his bedroom door.

"Not my toothbrush, I've got an entire box of condoms in there."

He laughed, letting her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor. "I do have a few dozen in the nightstand. Picked them up last week."

Michelle grinned, reaching for him again. "Good. Mine can stay then."

He tugged her close, hands reaching eagerly for the bow on the back of her dress. Once that was undone, he lifted the slinky material up and off her body. He knew her first instinct was to cover up, but instead her hands touched him, freeing the buttons on his shirt. He pulled her closer, fingertips running down the soft curve of her waist and touching lacy fabric of her underwear.

He kissed her cheek. "You're gorgeous, Michelle," he murmured gruffly.

Her hands pushed his shirt off his shoulders and his breath hitched when she kissed his neck.

"You smell good," she murmured into his throat before laughing nervously. "I'm sorry, that was stupid of me to say."

He shook his head, lifting her chin. "Hey." He touched her cheek, moving closer and kissing her softly. "I'm glad to know you don't hate my aftershave."

She smiled slightly, nodding and leaning into him again. He felt her hands land on his belt and jumped a little.

She laughed. "Nervous, Tony?"

"Quiet," he growled, trailing a finger across her back and feeling her shiver.

His pants were around his ankles seconds later and he kicked them aside lazily. Michelle's nose crinkled playfully, and he found himself pressing an impulsive kiss there.

She touched his waist, thumbs sliding against his sides distractingly. She tilted her head back, finding his eyes. Something in her gaze made him stop. He'd always thought she had honest eyes, but never had that been so true.

"Me too," she promised quietly, punctuating her statement with a quick swish of her hand against his skin. "Nervous, I mean."

One of his hands came up to smooth her hair back, cupping her cheek gently. It was strange, but the fact that she was nervous too, and willing to admit it to him, actually calmed him.

"I could put on some Barry White," he offered innocently, grinning when she cracked a smile. "Or, I've got Marvin Gaye around here somewhere if you prefer."

"Tony's groove music?" she teased, letting him start to walk her back toward his bed.

"Something like that, yeah." He kissed her softly, stopping just before the backs of her legs hit the bed and spinning so that he was the one who dropped down on the mattress first.

Michelle slid easily into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And how many girls have you gotten with 'Let's Get It On,' Tony?"

He pretended to think as he cupped the back of her head and tilted her chin so he could plant soft kisses along her jaw.

"Well, none, but 'Sexual Healing' has always been a big hit."

She slapped his back lightly in exasperation. "No music is fine."

He laughed against her skin, lips sliding across her collarbone. It really did amaze him how soft her skin was, pale and smooth underneath his mouth and his hands. He could probably spend all day just touching her.

Michelle rocked in his lap, tugging lightly on his hair and pulling his mouth back to hers for a kiss. He groaned and his hand slid under the band of her bra, unhooking it without hesitation. Michelle wiggled under his hands and he saw the lacy object go flying somewhere in the direction of the rest of their clothes before she pressed closer to his chest.

He kissed her again softly, hands trailing up her sides and caressing the swell of her breasts.

Her fingertip teased up his back, drawing his attention to her.

He didn't even recognize the sound of protest that came out of his mouth when she moved off his lap. Michelle just laughed, sliding onto the mattress beside him and reaching for his hand as she reclined against his pillow.

He turned, taking a moment to just watch her, simply taking in her kiss-reddened lips, the way her hair fanned out behind her, and the flush that was spreading from her cheeks down to her chest, stopping at two rosy, peaked nipples. Her breasts rose and fell as her breathing sped up and he turned his attention to the gentle slope of her stomach, past the lace panties he hadn't yet peeled her out of, and down to those legs he always found himself staring at when he should've been working. She was beautiful.

He moved closer, stretching out alongside her and brushing his mouth over her shoulder. His fingers skimmed up her stomach and along the underside of one breast before covering it gently with his hand. He kissed her collarbone again lightly before wrapping his lips around one nipple.

Michelle squirmed under his hands, and he felt her hand touch his head. "Tony," she sighed gently, as his thumb circled in time with his gentle suckling. "Oh!" she arched when he bared his teeth, lightly scraping against her skin.

He released her breast with a grin, pressing openmouthed kisses on her flesh as he slid over to give the other one the same attention. Her appreciation was made known when her hand tightened in his hair and she repeated her sigh of his name.

He returned to her mouth when he left her breasts, nipping gently on her bottom lip. She hummed, scratching his scalp lightly with one hand while the other ran across his shoulders.

"Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?" he murmured, surprising them both at his change of subject. She smiled slightly, questioningly and he shrugged, trailing his hand down her body again, flicking her nipple on the way back up. "I'm serious," he added, kissing her nose.

"Not recently."

"That's too bad," he murmured, moving his hand to finger the edge of her underwear lazily. "Everything about you is pretty. Your eyes," he paused to kiss her brow gently. "Your nose." He kissed that, too. "Your mouth and this cute little freckle right here," he kissed both of those, too, sliding down her body and trailing his mouth across her skin. He paused at the top of her underwear, feeling her breath speed up.

"Your underwear's even pretty."

She laughed, brushing his hair away from his forehead as he grinned up at her. "I bought them special for tonight. The bra matches, too."

He spared a glance in the direction she'd flung it. Well, huh, so it did.

His lips touched her thigh, and he slid further down to her knee, cupping her calf and squeezing lightly. "Your knees are cute too, did you know that?"

"First I've been told."

He smirked, running his finger over the top of her foot. "You have pretty toes."

She wiggled said toes against his hand. "Thanks, baby," she quipped.

His fingers returned to her hips, dipping underneath the sides of her panties and checking with her for permission before continuing. Without a word, Michelle lifted her hips, allowing him to slide her underwear off her body and toss them to the side.

He kissed her navel gently, sliding his fingers across the silky skin on her inner thigh and cupping her. Her curls were trimmed short, tickling his palm. He brushed against her tentatively, feeling how turned on she already was and all he'd done was talk to her. He couldn't wait to taste her, all of her.

"How ya doin?" he asked, teasing his finger down her sex, feeling her legs shift and open a little wider to him.

"You need to ask?" she laughed breathily.

He shrugged, touching his mouth to her thigh. "Just checking."

He slid between her legs, leaning in and lapping gently at her. He was right, she tasted good. He glanced up at her finding her head flung back against the pillow, mouth opened slightly. He flicked his tongue lightly against her flesh, feeling her squirm.

"Look at me, Michelle," he commanded, blowing lightly across her skin. "I wanna see your eyes."

Still waiting for her to comply, he spread her open a little more, searching for and finding her clit with his tongue. Michelle stiffened, bucking against his face. "Oh!"

She seemed to like that, so he did it again, alternating between suckling and flicking the tip of his tongue against her. He felt her fingers touch his head and looked up to meet her eyes.

"Keep watching me, baby," he puffed, spreading her wetness with his thumb. She nodded, keeping her eyes on him, as he licked and kissed her, finding out what worked for her and what didn't. When he eased a finger inside her, tongue still circling her clit softly, she shuddered and her eyes fluttered shut. They shot open again when he hummed.

"Again," she murmured, tightening her fingers in his hair as he pressed another finger inside her, pumping slowly. Obliging, he covered her clit with his tongue, humming again gently. "Mmm, right there, Tony."

Encouraged, his fingers sped up; matching rhythm with his tongue until he felt her tighten around him and her hand gripped his hair, holding him to her.

She shuddered a little when his fingers withdrew and he took a final lap at her sensitive skin before moving his way back up her body, taking the opportunity to kiss her everywhere his lips could reach. He groaned against her mouth as she tugged his hips into hers; he was so hard it almost hurt.

"Usually it has to be my birthday for me to get that sort of treatment," she teased lightly, making him wonder what man in his right mind _wouldn't_ want to get down on his knees and worship her on a daily basis. He was pretty certain if he had to choose a spot to die, he'd want to go cradled between her toned, pale thighs.

"If that's the case then you won't know _what_ hit you come birthday time."

Her fingers slid beneath the waistband of his boxers, lightly scratching his back. "I absolutely can't wait." She kissed him lightly, tugging on his bottom lip. "But now it's your turn."

He allowed her to push him onto his back, grinning stupidly as those gorgeous lips of hers moved to the hollow of his throat, tongue dragging across his skin and dancing down to his shoulders. He felt her hands brush across his shoulders and down his arms, finding his hands and giving them both gentle squeezes.

Her lips tugged lightly on one of his nipples, making him groan. She didn't stay long, giving the other one the same gentle flick with her tongue before continuing down his torso, lips following the light dusting of hair on his chest.

She stopped just above his hips, stretching back up and kissing his mouth slowly. When she pulled back, her eyelids had lowered and she was giving him a sexy as hell smirk.

"I can't wait to taste you, Tony."

He was pretty sure he would've swallowed his tongue if she hadn't slipped hers between his lips again.

Before he knew it she was gone, moving back down his body and hooking her index fingers under the elastic of his boxers. She commanded them off and they were off, joining the pile of their clothes that had sailed halfway across the room.

He felt a swell of pride when he saw her smile appreciatively. He'd always considered himself on the bigger side of normal, but tonight he felt positively huge. He hadn't had a dry spell this long since he was in basic; he was throbbing already and she hadn't touched him yet.

Her lips touched his belly, making him groan. She smiled against his skin and she took him in hand, holding him firmly while her mouth continued downward.

She caught his eye, winking before she gave the underside of his dick a tentative lick. He watched her press open-mouthed kisses up his shaft and did his best not to buck into her when she wrapped her lips around his tip and flicked her tongue.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he touched her hair. Michelle just hummed and released him, calling his name in that breathy way she had that made his stomach tighten even more.

"I want you to see me," she requested, moving her hand up and down on him at a maddeningly slow pace. He nodded, pushing a stray curl out of her eyes. "I want you to talk to me, Tony."

"I'm not sure I can form words right now, Michelle. This is what you do to me."

Her lips curved and she ducked just out of his reach, teasing her tongue across a slash of his thigh. It was unexpected, and he pushed his hips into her hand.

She laughed, "I meant to do that first."

He chuckled in return, feeling the warmth of her breath rattling across his skin. "By all means, feel free to do it again."

"Mmm." She did on the other leg, this time trailing her tongue back to the base of his cock and gently suckling on his balls. He murmured her name, encouraging, begging, whatever. Just as long as she didn't stop.

Her mouth left him momentarily, giving him just enough time to relax before her lips parted and slid down, taking as much of him as possible. He had to breathe deeply just to keep from coming right then.

"God, Michelle," he gasped, looking down at her, feeling his hands twist in the sheets. She'd never taken her eyes off of his, not even as she moved agonizingly slowly down his length.

She slid back up, releasing him almost completely and pumping him firmly with her fist. Her tongue wiggled in distracting little circles, teasing until she wrapped her lips around him again, moving halfway down his length and back up again. He jerked when she slid her palm up his thigh and cupped him with her other hand.

"Shit," he gripped the sheets tighter, apologizing quickly for his profanity. Michelle hummed, shaking her head, releasing him from between her lips.

"I like knowing I'm driving you crazy," she sing-songed, pursing her lips and sending cool air across his wet skin.

"Oh you're driving me crazy alright," he rumbled, touching her head, wrapping a curl around his finger. "Get up here."

Michelle pouted, but nodded and released him with a final press of her lips. He sat up, meeting her halfway with an easy kiss, tugging her hips down. They both groaned as he brushed against her. She was even wetter than before.

She rocked against him, breaking the kiss just long enough to fling her hand out in hopes of opening the drawer to the nightstand.

"Tony, help me," she muttered. "The damn thing is stuck."

Pulling his lips away from her neck, he grappled blindly, helping her yank the drawer open.

"A hah," she murmured triumphantly, holding up the condom like it was a gold medal. Grinning, he took it from her fingers, cupping the back of her head and kissing her lightly.

"You're sure?" he asked, just in case she'd changed her mind in the three seconds between kisses.

Michelle rolled her eyes slightly, nodding and tugging his mouth to hers. "I'm sure," she promised. "If you're not inside me soon, I might not be, though," she added teasingly.

"Liar."

Her hips moved, teasing her center over him. "You wanna chance it?"

He nipped at her lips. "Do the honors then."

With a grin, she snatched the condom from between his fingers, shifting her weight onto her knees. What he wasn't expecting was the burst of giggles to come from her.

"You know, Michelle, that's not exactly comforting to hear right now," he drawled, sliding his palms up her ribcage and cupping her breasts. Michelle just nodded, covering her face with her hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just, you said to do the honors, and I got the image of everything going into slow motion and Chariots of Fire suddenly playing out of nowhere."

The look on his face must have been priceless, because that made her laugh too. "I'm sorry, Tony," she added, clamping her bottom lip between her teeth and taking a deep breath. "I'll be serious now."

Her attempts at seriousness only made him laugh. Dragging her back into a kiss, he shook his head.

"You are demented."

"Yeah, well, you're about to have sex with me, what does that say about you?"

"I'm hot for lunatics."

She giggled again, pressing her mouth to his collarbone. "Stop it. You're not helping."

"What?" he blinked. "How am _I_ not helping? _You're_ the one having comedy hour in front of my penis."

Michelle just cackled at that, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

His fingers trailed up and down her spine, eliciting the shudder he'd been hoping for. Her laugher died away and she raised her head, meeting his eyes. Her lips parted slightly and she stretched up, kissing him so softly he almost thought he'd imagined it.

Silently she ghosted kisses across his throat and his chest, shifting down on the bed and tearing the wrapper to the condom open. His breath caught when she stroked him gently and pressed a quick kiss to his tip. After so much teasing, she made quick work of rolling the condom down onto his length, giving him another firm stroke once it was on.

"Good?"

He nodded, reaching for her again and tugging her down insistently.

"Hold on, hold on," Michelle murmured, resting her palm on his shoulder and sliding her hand between them, guiding him into position. He groaned at the feeling of her warmth as she slid down, sheathing him inside her. Dear God, he was finally inside her. Finally inside _Michelle Dessler_, the woman he'd been so drawn to for months, the only woman he'd thought of since the first time she touched his hand and smiled at him.

She smiled down at him now, just like she had that day; excited and eager, though now her eyes were glassy and aroused and they definitely hadn't been when they met. At least not at first.

"You still sure?" he asked, biting his lip gently, feeling her clench around him as she laughed.

"I'm pretty sure. You might want to persuade me a little bit more, though."

His hands slid down her back, grasping her ass and flexing his own hips, making her moan.

"More persuasion?"

Michelle nodded, pushing on his shoulders for leverage. "Lots of persuasion. Lots and lots of persuasion," she repeated, smiling and kissing him slowly, thoroughly.

She arched into him each time his hips moved upwards, wrapping her arm tighter around his shoulders and pushing her breasts against his chest. Her breathing was ragged and he knew his was too as he fought for control over his body.

"How's my argument so far?" he murmured, grazing her shoulder lightly with his teeth. She groaned mouth close to his ear.

"Very compelling." She lapped gently at his earlobe, tugging it into her mouth. He just hoped she'd remember to let go if he did something amazing. He didn't want to have to explain to the ER doctor, or his boss the next morning, how his ear was bitten off by his girlfriend in the throes of passion.

He shifted his feet slightly, lifting his knees just a little and causing her hips to rock forward. She shuddered, pressing her face into his neck.

"Mmm, Tony." She groaned into the hollow of his throat, making him grip her hips harder, pushing into her.

The angle was right, but the rhythm wasn't, and he felt himself growl in frustration. Neither of them was going to get there this way. He was pretty sure he was going to fucking explode if it didn't happen soon.

Somehow, Michelle knew, because she straightened up, palming his face and kissing him wetly. He gasped as she squeezed him and let her shift her legs so she could control how quickly she rose and sank. They fell into a greedy give and take pattern; she'd lower, he'd rise, hips slapping together in the center. Their lighthearted conversation gave way to harsh breathing and the occasional babbled call of encouragement.

He shifted and the headboard of his bed dug further into his shoulder, making him grunt and try to shift again. Michelle held on, but never broke her rhythm as she moved.

"Damn, you feel good," she murmured for about the fifteenth time, making him grin and tighten the hand he'd slid into her hair. He kissed her softly.

"You feel good, too," he replied inanely, tugging on her upper lip and pulling her down harder on him. The little noise she made went straight to his cock and he did it again, feeling her tighten around him.

Abruptly he rolled to one side, never breaking his connection with her as he swept the pillows to the floor and settled her head back against the sheets. He felt her hands land on his ass for just a moment before she gripped his back and arched against him, her feet planted firmly on either side of his legs.

"This okay?" he panted, pushing his hips against her again, withdrawing almost completely before sliding home inside her. He never wanted to be anywhere but inside her, encased in her heat, in her heart.

Michelle nodded emphatically, eyes glassy and bright. She tugged his head down pressing her mouth against his jaw. His head dipped, lapping at the side of her neck, tasting salty sweetness of her sweat, whispering her name against her wet skin.

Their new position meant he hit her just right on the upstroke, sending shakes through her body, down to the fingers digging into his sides.

"Mmm, more," she murmured, locking eyes with him again. He nodded, stroking harder. One of her silky thighs brushed his and he tugged her leg around his hip, feeling the brush of her foot against his back. She arched against him, squeezing her inner muscles gently, making him groan and drop onto his elbows alongside her head.

"You're killin' me, Michelle. You're absolutely killin' me."

She nodded, pulling him in deeper and gasping his name. "So close, Tony. So close," she babbled, closing her eyes quickly before opening them again.

"I know, baby, me too. Me too," he repeated, mouth sliding across her shoulder, baring his teeth gently against her clavicle. He could feel his orgasm approaching, feeling the tightening in his stomach, his balls, his toes with each thrust.

His hips snapped against hers again and again, sometimes hard, sometimes soft, he just wanted to get her there, too.

"Gotta come for me, Michelle, come with me," he pleaded, feeling her finally go taut in his arms.

"Tony," she called, holding onto his hips as he joined her seconds later, finally finding release after so many lonely months. His face landed in the crook of her neck and he practically sobbed her name over and over as he came in hot spurts, hips still moving rapidly against hers.

He felt her hand slide down his back, massaging his tired muscles as he lowered himself down onto her. Her leg shifted, but didn't slide away; instead her toes caressed the back of his thigh.

Finally, he was able to raise his head, kissing her mouth softly. He wanted to say so much, but was having trouble even forming the words.

"Hey," he was able to say instead. Michelle giggled, the action making her entire body shake in his arms.

"Hey," she added, palming the back of his head and dragging his head to hers. "You okay?"

He nuzzled his lips down and under her chin, nodding. "Never better."

"Good."

"How're you doin?'"

Michelle's fingers scratched lightly in his hair before slipping down and sliding against the base of his neck. Her fingers were cool on his hot skin.

"I'm okay," she replied quietly.

He frowned, propping up on one hand and finding her eyes. She didn't look unhappy. "Just okay?" he prompted, slightly worried.

She bit her lip, smiling almost shyly. "Better than okay. It was just the first thing I could think of."

Satisfied, he pecked her lips lightly, tugging at her lip with his own teeth and smoothing his tongue along the soft indentations she'd made.

"In that case, I'm putting a thesaurus on the nightstand. We're gonna use it next time."

Michelle giggled at the inane thought, poking his cheek affectionately. "Better go get it then, because next time's coming a lot sooner than you think."

Her claim was pretty much disproven when she stiffened and her face broke into a yawn. Grinning, he kissed her, delighting in the way she laughed into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Lemme get cleaned up," he murmured finally, reluctantly pulling away and withdrawing from her. Stroking the inside of her thigh gently, he dropped a kiss there before padding to the bathroom to take off the condom and pee.

He was just about to brush his teeth when Michelle joined him at the sink, making him realize he hadn't even bothered to close the door. Ducking around him, she reached for his toothpaste and waggled her toothbrush at him for emphasis.

Before she shoved the brush in her mouth, she kissed his shoulder lightly. "I brought you some water. It's inside."

Mindful of her toothbrush, he leaned closer, kissing her cheek. "Thanks, sweetheart."

While they brushed their teeth, she propped herself up against the counter, watching him watch her. One of his hands landed on her thigh caressing her skin gently, touching her just to be sure that she was still there. Her fingers were doing the same to him, sliding against his waist, raising goose bumps. Even when he had to step away to spit, his hand and her hand remained.

"So you don't happen to have a change of clothes for tomorrow in that magical bag of yours, do you?" he asked, wiping his mouth on a towel and handing it over to her to do the same, watching in amusement as she left it wadded up beside the sink. This was the woman for him; tidy when she needed to be, but willing to let the little things slide.

"Not work clothes. I brought something to wear home, though, so I don't have to wear tonight's clothes. Just a t-shirt and shorts. They're not sexy at all, sorry."

He nodded, nuzzling his face against her neck and pressing a kiss there. Somehow he doubted that; nothing about her wasn't sexy. "What time do you think we need to get up? Last time I drove in the direction of your place in the morning, it took forever."

Her legs slid around his waist, locking at the ankle. Her palms danced up his shoulders, settling firming against his back. She tilted her head and smiled innocently. "We could always call in. I'm sure Mason'd be fine with knowing you're finally getting laid."

His head raised, and he made a 'hardy har' face before lifting her off the counter and waiting for her to kill the lights.

"Yeah, but it's with a lunatic, so I'm not sure he'd have great things to say."

She giggled, resting her forehead on his. "Take what you can get, buddy."

He set her on the bed softly, already leaning her back and wrapping his lips around a nipple. "Oh, I intend to."

* * *

Note: This was an absolute labor of love to write – I'd never tackled their first time together in any sort of meaningful way, and so it was quite difficult to get the tone and the emotions right, and balance the nervousness they were feeling about wanting to please each other with the nervousness _I_ was feeling with having to write all that. But anyway! I think I did a good job, I hope I did a good job, and I hope anyone who's still reading this will give big hearty thanks to agent_almeida and featherjean on LJ for listening to me whine for over a week about this story. Without them, it'd still be unfinished.


	8. Dinner Dates and Details

Title: Dinner Dates and Details

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida, OC – Heather, Amy, David.

Word Count: 2,655

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Can Tony Almeida pass the friends test?

Author's Notes: This is the next story in the 'Under Your Skin' series. I'm pretty excited about it. Hopefully it's got some funny, some cute, and adds a little more to the series.

* * *

It was almost amusing to see a man she knew to be confident and self-assured getting so worked up over meeting her friends. Especially since he'd already met them once. But still, he was fidgety and nervous and she was pretty sure he'd almost clawed his cheek raw just on the drive over to her apartment. All over a simple dinner.

"We don't have to go," she offered, tugging his hand away from his face and kissing his cheek lightly. "I can call Amy and tell her I've decided you look too good to share, and we stayed in tonight."

Actually, that didn't sound too bad. He was wearing jeans and a polo shirt, and frankly he looked delectable.

She stepped closer. "We can make love until we're starving and then order take out and eat it in our underwear," she continued, watching his eyes darken at the suggestion. God, she was making herself not even want to go. She had to think of some way to get them out the door, and quick.

"But I promise you, Tony, if we go tonight when we get back," she lowered her voice, licking his earlobe gently. "You'll have to stay the night because won't even be able to stand when I'm done with you."

Tony growled, tugging her against him, letting her feel what her teasing was doing to him.

"Keep it up, Michelle, and we're not gonna make it to dinner."

"I'm just making sure you're sufficiently motivated."

He kissed her firmly. "I'm more than motivated. You're just lucky I can be patient."

Pulling away, she grinned. "Good." Reaching for his hand, she tugged him to the door, stopping to pick her bag up from the corner she'd tossed it in.

"So what do I need to know?" he asked once they were in the car and had gone about a half a block in silence.

"About what?"

"World hunger," he deadpanned, making her grin. "Your friends, Michelle. I know Heather is the redhead and Amy's the blonde who set me up to look like an ass."

She tilted her head. "I'm pretty sure you chose to tell me the flowers were from you. Amy just made it possible. You're just lucky I thought it was cute."

"Hush."

She laughed. She hadn't been told to hush since she was about nine.

"Seriously. I want to know."

She nodded. "Heather goes to design school at night, but during the day she's the associate editor for some hoity toity real estate magazine. David is Heather's fiancé; he should be there tonight, too. He's one of the realtors she featured in her first issue. They've been together since then. I think you'll like him."

"What about Amy?"

She turned the radio down. "Amy's a counselor for the LAPD, so she's a take no shit kind of person. But she's fun. She makes me get out, I make her chill out, Heather's the calm one between us."

"She doesn't have someone coming too?"

Michelle took her head. "Amy is picky. She likes to consider herself perpetually single with lots of options. But she's not a slut, so don't think that.

Tony nodded.

"They're my best friends," she shrugged. "They're almost like my sisters."

It almost sounded like she was pleading with him to like them, and he picked up on that. Reaching out, he touched her cheek.

"Hey, sweetheart, don't worry. I'm sure they're great. I just want to know what the hell you've told them about me, and if I need to dodge rotten food when I walk in."

There it was, his nervousness again.

"Well, they know you're absolutely fantastic in the sack," she quipped, trying to make him laugh.

"I'm flattered," he retorted dryly.

She glanced over. "I'm kidding. They don't know… okay they don't know _much_ about our sex life." She shrugged off his scandalized look; he hadn't exactly neglected to mention that he was getting some on a regular basis to at least one of his friends, and she knew it. "Any way, they know what you look like –"

"Obviously."

"Obviously," she echoed. "They know…" she smiled quickly. "They know how I feel."

Tony nodded. "So when they look at me like I'm an ogre, I'm supposed to know why, right?"

"They won't. They know not to pass judgment because of the bad day I was having."

"When?"

"When you almost kissed me, but instead you ran away." It was said relatively lightheartedly. She didn't blame him for being nervous, any more than he blamed her for when she shut him down a few days later. Besides, it was almost two months ago anyway; they were way past that now.

"Right. So they think I'm a jerk who steals your flowers and doesn't want to kiss you."

Her hand reached for his. "That's not what they think. And even if it is, you get to prove them wrong tonight."

"Yeah."

She squeezed his fingers. "Really honey, all you have to do is dote on me and you'll win them over," she teased.

He just laughed. They both knew he'd easily let her get away with murder. As long as she smiled at him while she did it.

"I already give you chocolate and tell you you're pretty. What else do you want?"

Snickering, she pulled the car into a parking space outside of the restaurant Heather had chosen. Turning to face him, she closed the distance between them and pecked him gently on the mouth.

"Hearing that thing you said the other night might be good." She played with the collar on his shirt, glancing up at him from under her eyelashes.

His fingers delved into her hair, messing up her carefully crafted hairdo. She didn't care, in fact she leaned into him.

"Which? 'Oh God, Michelle, don't stop?'"

Well, it wasn't the phrase she was thinking of, but it was enough to make her flush. Pushing at his shoulder, she shook her head.

"The other thing."

"Mmm," he nodded, tugging her closer. "I love you."

She grinned. "I love you, too," it was said just as softly back, the words new, but never untrue.

His mouth was warm as he kissed her.

"It's not too late. We could still do your other plan," he murmured once their kiss had broken, nuzzling his nose against her neck. "My treat, I'll even spring for fortune cookies," he added, lightly kissing her skin when she giggled.

"I'm convinced," she whispered, pulling back completely intent on starting the engine again and driving away. Her plan was thwarted when she noticed Amy grinning at her from the driver's side window.

"Busted," she sighed.

Tony chuckled. "Damn."

They both left the car a little sheepishly while Amy laughed at them.

"Sorry, Michelle. You're not getting out of it that easily."

She hugged her friend tightly before backing away and reached for Tony's hand.

"Amy, you remember Tony? Tony this is Amy."

She watched the two of them survey each other before Tony stuck his hand out.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Thanks for letting me steal your gift," he added, slipping his arm around Michelle's waist, kissing her cheek softly.

Amy grinned at that. "Michelle looks happy, so I guess I won't fault you too badly. Come on, Heather and David are inside already. We saw you drive up then try to make your getaway."

"Sorry about that," Michelle replied automatically, not the least bit repentant. "I just can't keep my hands off him."

Tony's arm tightened. They both were pretty incapable of keeping their hands off each other.

"Yeah, yeah. Get inside."

As Amy led them into the restaurant, Tony held Michelle back, cupping her face and kissing her softly.

"Remember, Heather's the easy sell, honey, don't worry," she teased, holding onto him tightly.

He was the perfect gentleman when meeting Heather and David, shaking both of their hands before seating her and making sure she was settled before taking his seat. His hand took hers, fingers sliding against her skin, making her smile. Even after all that, he was _still_ nervous, and it was adorable.

He was friendly and charming throughout dinner, and much to her relief, she could see whatever reservations her friends might still have had about him being set aside. That was good, very good. She loved him and she loved them, and she wanted them all to get along.

His hand landed on her thigh while they ate, fingers caressing her skin just underneath the edge of her skirt. He was making it difficult for her to bring her heaping fork to her lips, even if he wasn't trying to be distracting. Which he most definitely was.

After their meals had been taken away, she slipped her fingers through his, squeezing tightly. They shared a grin.

"Hey, hey, hey, hands on the table," Amy teased, waving her hand at them. "There'll be no hanky panky till you get home."

"Well, in that case," Michelle acted like she was going to stand. "Let's go, Tony."

"Brat."

Surprisingly, even when it came time to go, Tony didn't jump up. Instead he just rubbed her arm and offered to stick around. He really was taking this best behavior thing seriously.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom," she announced after their check had been paid – by Tony, of course, who'd accepted no argument from her whatsoever – standing and squeezing Tony's shoulder, laughing when her friends agreed. Apparently they wanted to discuss something, too. "Meet us out front?"

"Sure," Tony glanced between the three of them. She could tell he was itching to make a joke about the three of them going to the bathroom together.

"Shut up," she ordered affectionately, threading her fingers through the hair at the back of his head and holding him steady while she kissed him. His kiss was slightly sweet from the cheesecake they'd shared and she couldn't wait to get more of him.

"Be ready when I get out," she murmured, kissing him one more time quickly.

"Yes ma'am."

"Well," she asked immediately after following her friends into the bathroom.

Heather and Amy shared a smile. "You win, Michelle. You told us and we were skeptical, but you definitely win."

"He's fantastic," Heather added. "I definitely approve."

She checked Amy's face for agreement. Amy was usually direct, but she knew Tony was so important to her, there was a chance she'd sugar coat it.

"I do like him, Michelle. And as long as you like him, that's what matters."

"Right," Heather nodded.

Michelle bit her lip. It wasn't the best response she could have gotten, especially when she had so much more to say. "I love him, you guys. I'm crazily, stupidly in love with him. If he suggested getting married tomorrow, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"Michelle." Both of them looked a little concerned, but she shook her head.

"I'm not saying we would, I mean, I'm sure he'd never want to marry me this soon. Anyway, I just had to get that out. You know I've never been able to say anything like that, and it's freaking me out a little."

Usually she thought everything through a thousand times over, and they all knew that. But there was nothing that required thinking with Tony. It was all just instinct.

Heather tugged her into a hug, squeezing her tightly.

"I'm pretty sure he'd cut off his right arm to make you happy, Michelle," she murmured, grunting when Amy joined their hug. "Just one look at his face told me he's on the same track as you."

"And really, as long as we're invited, we don't care when you and Tony get hitched. 'Cause we love you."

Michelle sniffed. "You're gonna make me cry."

"Yeah, but then Tony can kiss and make it better."

Michelle grinned wickedly. "Tony'll do more than that."

The others groaned. "And you had to go and ruin it, Michelle."

"You know I didn't."

The bathroom door swung open and a severe looking woman clipped inside. She glared at the three of them, making them giggle and bump heads affectionately.

"Ready?" Michelle asked.

"Almost," Amy promised. "Unlike _you_, I actually have to pee."

"I'll wait outside."

David and Tony were seated in the waiting area, chatting amicably. Tony grinned when he saw her, uncrossing his legs and standing.

"Ya done talking about me?" he cracked, biting his lip as she stepped into his arms. She wondered what it said about her that she always felt the need to be touching him. It probably would have worried her more if he didn't always seem to want to touch her too.

Looping her arms around his neck, she shrugged, smiling coyly. "Who says we were talkin' about you?"

Tony kissed her lightly. "Sure you weren't. And who says I'm driving you home."

"It's my car," she pointed out.

"But I have the keys still," he argued, reminding her that he'd run out to the car to get her sweater before she even knew she was cold.

"Then I'll have to report it stolen."

He shook his head, bumping her nose with his. "Took it on official CTU business."

"Oh really?" she giggled. "Mason called you?"

"Yep. It's an emergency."

She smirked. "Paper jam in the copy machine?"

Tony shook his head, trying to look serious. "Worse. Out of coffee."

Not even seconds later, they snorted, nuzzling noses before kissing quickly. When they parted, Michelle saw her friends watching in amusement.

"You ready to head out?" she asked, licking her lips and reaching for Tony's hand. Amy smirked, nodding.

"We've just been waiting on you guys to get kicked out."

She faked a put-upon sigh. "You make it sound like we're getting naked right here."

"We could," Tony murmured, grinning when she swatted at him.

"Out," she ordered, knowing that the sooner they got home, the sooner they _could_ get naked.

Once they were standing outside, Tony turned to her friends, smiling slightly.

"It was really nice meeting you all."

Heather and Amy both shook his hand.

"Don't be a stranger, Tony. And you keep her happy or we're coming for you. She doesn't bring just anyone home to us."

Tony and Heather both laughed, but a glance at Tony's face told them all that he was taking the joke seriously.

"Of course." His hand tangled with hers, squeezing tightly. "She's pretty good about keeping me in line, so I'm not worried."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't make me sound like a nag, Tony," she muttered, tongue firmly in cheek.

Tony grinned. "Yes, dear."

"See, Heather, he's fine," David quipped, leaning over and kissing Michelle's cheek. "See you soon, Michelle. Tony, I'll call you to confirm about tee times."

Tony nodded. "I'll talk to my brother tomorrow."

"Good."

Tony and David waited while the three women shared a group hug and promised to get together soon.

Tony took her hand again, leading her to the car and opening her door for her. He always opened the door for her, so she always responded with a soft kiss.

"So, was it awful?" she asked as he adjusted the seat and mirrors. It amused her how easily she surrendered the keys to him. With Justin she'd always bristled at the idea that he felt like he had the right to drive.

He shook his head. "Not awful. Got a tee time out of it."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you believe me now? They don't think you're a jerk."

"I guess so. Still think Amy's not too impressed, though."

"That's okay," she murmured. "I am."

He spared a glance at her, probably noticing that she didn't exactly dispute his claims. But really, it didn't matter if her friend was in love with him; she was. "Yeah?"

Nodding, she stretched across the seat, kissing his cheek. "Take me home and I'll show you how much. I owe you, after all."


	9. Looking to Tomorrow

Title: Looking to Tomorrow

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida

Word Count: 3,055

Rating: R

Summary: Others might have their doubts, but not Tony, and not Michelle.

Author's Notes: This is another story in the 'Under Your Skin' series. It's sort of a bridging story to get from one point in their lives to another, but I like the direction it's taking.

* * *

For two months they'd done everything the same as before they started dating; even if they arrived together, they said their goodbyes and shared their kisses long before they arrived at CTU. As soon as they were inside the gates, they were nothing more than coworkers riding into work together.

Of course, it didn't mean that flirting was off-limits. Some days she teased him so badly they barely made it down the street before they were all over each other, and sometimes he was just as much to blame as her. But even when their hands never touched, their eyes spoke volumes. And that was probably what had tipped Mason off.

"Tony, how's it going?" Mason asked with his usual flippancy, implying that he didn't really give a damn how it was actually going.

Tony leaned back in his chair, shrugging slightly, watching as Mason perched on the edge of his desk. "Just trying to finish up for the day so I can head home." He nodded to the stack of reports he still needed to enter into the new database. Finally, the agency was backing up older files and since he was the only one besides Mason who had the clearances, it was his job.

"You should ask for some help," Mason remarked, oblivious to Tony's glare.

"Give someone the clearances and I'll be happy to."

It was said so simply, but he'd glanced at Michelle's station, and apparently that'd been enough.

"So how long?"

Tony squinted. "How long what?"

George rolled his eyes. "You and Michelle."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, George," he muttered, even as his fingers moved over the keyboard a little faster.

"Sure, Tony, fine. If that's how you wanna play it. Personally, I don't care. Agency policy or no."

His fingers slowed.

"But?"

George's voice lowered. "But you need to remember Nina."

Involuntarily, his teeth gritted. "Michelle's not Nina," he hissed.

George shrugged. "I know. Just watch your back, Tony,'s all I'm saying. I don't wanna put up with either of you when you break up. It's not good for business."

His eyes rolled. "Thanks, George. Your concern is overwhelming."

Mason grinned, getting to his feet again.

"Listen, why don't you cut out for the night? I'm sure you've probably got plans."

Both of them glanced over at Michelle's station where she was leaning on one hand, the other tapping away at the keys in front of her with clear disinterest. Tony bit his lip. Was it that obvious that she was waiting for him?

"Thanks." He scratched his cheek. "I'll come in early tomorrow to finish."

"Who cares? It's just archive shit. It gets done when it gets done."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"You two kids have a good night now." Mason winked, crossing back up to his office, leaving Tony to scrape a hand across his face and sigh.

He and Michelle hadn't been hiding their relationship by any means. They still went out in public, ate dinner, lunch, and sometimes breakfast together, and even took one car to work, if only to be practical. There was nothing sneaky or secretive about them. She answered his phone if he couldn't get to it, and he did the same for her. Most days he even retrieved her mail for her, or at least accompanied her to the box and watched as she sorted through everything with a sexy little pout of concentration. Her neighbors knew him, and his neighbors knew her. He'd know if she was secretly a double – possibly triple – agent working against them, wouldn't he?

His phone rang from beside him, making him jump. Lifting it cautiously, he straightened his shoulders.

"Almeida."

"You have to take me home if you're going to keep staring at me like that. Otherwise we'll both lose our jobs." Michelle's voice was low, teasing, and he blinked once, realizing that she was looking straight at him. He _had_ been staring.

She lifted an eyebrow, lowering her chin. "Well, Tony? What'll it be? Sex at home where we get to keep our paychecks, or sex on your desk where we'll have an audience and be collecting our pink slips."

"I'm done," he muttered quickly, reaching out with one hand and shutting his system off. "But you gotta quit giving me that look."

She was all innocence. "Meet you at the car."

* * *

"So what did Mason say to make you look all freaked out like that?"

She shifted against his chest, fingers lightly circling one of his nipples, providing more of a distraction than she probably realized.

They'd made it all the way to her apartment door before he's lost the battle with his desire to nuzzle her neck and slip his arms around her waist, deftly starting to unbutton her shirt from the bottom up while she struggled to get her key in the lock and turn it. He'd just freed the final button, his hands cupping her lace-covered breasts when she shoved the door open and tugged him inside triumphantly. Their clothes were hastily discarded even as he sealed his mouth over hers and lifted her up. They made it as far as the couch.

Michelle murmured his name, sliding her palm across his chest slowly.

"What'd Mason say?" she repeated, her voice muffled against his shoulder. He turned his chin, dropping a kiss onto the crown of her head.

"He told us to keep it out of the office," he answered finally, somewhat paraphrasing what George had said. He chose to leave out the comment about Nina, preferring not to even get into that with Michelle. There were going to be enough people who compared the two of them, they didn't need to be doing it themselves.

"It?"

He slid two fingers down her back. "Us."

"Oh. How'd he know?"

"Dunno." He shrugged. "But he doesn't care."

Michelle relaxed, fingers tickling his ribs lightly. "Good."

Nodding absently, he agreed. It was quiet and it made Michelle look up at him, confusion plain in her dark eyes. He lifted the corner of his mouth and bent to kiss her softly.

"That's better," she murmured when they parted for air. "What else did he say? 'Cause you're not exactly looking thrilled right now."

He hesitated, which only served to pique her interest more.

"Come on, Tony; don't make me pry it out of you."

He snorted. "And how would you do that? Tickle torture?"

Her mischievous grin was enough to make his stomach lurch. She kissed his chest lightly, smoothing her palm across his skin and shimmying up so she was lying on top of him.

"There are ways to make you talk," she intoned in a horrible accent that made him guffaw, almost hard enough to send them both sprawling to the floor. He always laughed so easily when he was with her, and it made him realize frequently that he'd never been in a relationship where he felt so fulfilled.

"You're beautiful, Michelle."

She smiled against his skin, cheeks looking a little pink at the compliment. Inching her mouth down his body, she quietly sing-songed, "Flattery might get you brownie points, but still doesn't get you out of telling me."

Her tongue slipped into his navel, making him groan and push his hips up. Michelle hummed softly, slipping a hand back up his torso.

"Wanna tell me now?"

His hand tangled with hers, squeezing her fingers gently.

"Not a chance."

Michelle's laugh made his insides warm. God, he loved her.

"We'll see," she murmured, untangling their hands and slipping down between his legs, taking him into her mouth without a sound.

He forgot all about what it was he was supposed to be telling her as his eyes rolled back in his head.

Later, once blood finally made it back to his brain, she was able to get it out of him. One snuggle and two well-placed kisses were followed by her soft voice.

"It was about Nina, wasn't it?"

He was too relaxed to have his usual reaction, which consisted of gritted teeth and the slight feeling of shame, and just nodded, turning his face to rest against her forehead.

"And me?"

Again, he nodded, wondering why he hadn't just told her anyway. "He mostly just said to remember what happened before."

"Oh."

Her fingers stilled against his chest, giving him his first clue that that was probably the wrong thing to say. Not that it wasn't what George had said, but it still wasn't the best form to compare his current girlfriend to the ex that was currently in prison for murder and treason.

"Do you trust me, Tony?" she asked, lips moving against his shoulder almost in a kiss.

He took her hand, raising her fingers to his mouth and nodding. "Yeah, I trust you."

"It won't happen again," she promised, propping her head up on a hand. He still had her other hand trapped against his chin and her thumb slid over his.

"I know. C'mere," he murmured, tugging her down and sealing their lips together. He believed her. He trusted her. He had to believe he wouldn't be so ass-over-tea kettle for her if she wasn't truly the good person he thought she was.

"So I was thinking," she began when they'd parted, her fingers sliding across his five o'clock shadow. "Maybe you could help me make dinner tonight? I've got all the stuff; but you know me and cooking." She let the corner of her mouth turn up. "If you don't want to, it's okay, we can order take out or something and I'll try out the recipe another time. I'm just starving."

He shook his head, eager to shed the heavy mood. "I think eating in sounds good. All that take out is gonna go straight to my hips."

She laughed, bussing his lips lightly. "You and your girlish figure," she sighed in mock exasperation, shoving his shoulder lightly to make him get up from the couch. Slipping past him, she wandered around the room; locating the various items of clothing they'd helpfully strewn everywhere.

"Ya know, we don't need clothes," he suggested as she stepped into her panties and shimmied them up her hips. She grinned, tossing his boxers his way while she apparently decided to forgo the rest of her clothes – including her bra, his downstairs brain was eager to point out – and pulled his dress shirt on instead, buttoning it up only halfway. Even rolled up, the cuffs of the sleeves fell to her mid-forearm.

"You never know when I could start a fire. Don't wanna be unprepared."

She disappeared down the hall for just a few moments, coming back with a print out in her hands and her hair up in a messy ponytail. She stopped in front of him for just a moment, stretching up and kissing him softly.

"I love you, Tony."

Brushing her hair behind her ears, he bent and rubbed his nose over hers. "I love you, too. I didn't mean to upset you with what George said. He was just being George."

Michelle smiled softly. "I know. And we were going to have the Nina conversation eventually, right?"

His head dropped a little at that and he nodded, tugging gently on her earlobe. "Yeah, you're right. Once you've been interrogated by a cop psychologist, you might as well open up about all your exes," he teased, referring to the first time he'd met Michelle's friends.

Michelle slapped his bare shoulder lightly. "She didn't interrogate you, Tony, you brought that on yourself. And by the way, one ex doesn't count as all of them. Be prepared to spill the rest later."

He grinned.

"So what's Chef Dessler making me for dinner tonight?" he asked, following her into the kitchen and leaning one hip against the counter while she puttered around, gathering the ingredients like they were the necessary items for dismantling a bomb.

"Chef Dessler's gonna be kicking Mr. Almeida outta the apartment in his underwear if he makes fun of her again," she retorted, holding out the paper to him so he could see for himself.

He stifled a laugh when he read the source. He didn't even think Michelle read those magazines. Glancing up, he saw her carefully measuring out everything and smiled. It was doable; he didn't need to get the fire department or health services on standby for this meal.

"How much garlic do I need?"

He told her, passing the paper back to her and retrieving the last of the necessary items for their dinner. Looking over her shoulder at the recipe to be sure, he got the butter and the oil started simmering while she chopped up the chicken.

They stood back from the stove once the chicken had been added, and he curled his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder from behind. She'd asked him to stay in the kitchen with her, to make sure that she didn't forget to stir or something. For now he was content to press his face under her curls and breathe her in. He felt himself start to sway.

She chuckled. "Is this you making up for not taking me dancing this weekend?" she asked lightly, resting her cheek against his hair. They both had to work so they weren't going to be able to go out with her friends. He felt bad about it, even if he was a little relieved; he hated dancing. But for her, he danced.

"Sure, sweetheart."

One of his legs slid between hers, tugging her back against him tighter. She hummed, sinking into his arms.

"Gotta say, I like the atmosphere here better."

"And the dress code, too," he murmured, dipping his fingers between two buttons on her shirt and touching her belly gently.

She laughed, pushing her hips back into his.

"Go get the wine, Tony," she ordered, pulling away to stir their dinner.

Sliding behind her again, he reached across her back and touched her hip, kissing her shoulder through her shirt. "You have a preference?"

"We probably should have white with this. I bought a bottle last week."

He kissed her again, and reluctantly, his hand fell away from her body. "Okay. Don't burn anything while I'm in the next room," he teased, knowing that she was more than capable of preparing this meal just fine.

She flicked him off anyway, grinning sweetly as she did so.

He was surprised when she asked him to take a walk with her after dinner. They hadn't really taken the time to do something quiet like that since their second or third date, and he agreed readily, even if it did mean changing back into real clothes.

Her fingers felt warm in his as they walked, the night air chilly around them. Every so often he would brush his thumb over the cuff of the sweatshirt he'd insisted she take and move it aside so he could feel her skin. She had the softest skin.

They'd just started their second circuit of her complex when she slipped her hand out of his and wrapped her arms around his waist, making him jump slightly even as he grinned. Whether she knew it or not, she was the best at warding off the chill. Palming the back of her head, he tilted her chin up and kissed her softly. Her nose was cold against his.

"Can we go inside now?" he murmured, pushing her hair back behind her ear. "You might be toasty, but I'm freezing."

Her nose crinkled as she smiled. "I can think of a way to warm you up."

He smirked. "I'm sure you've got about a hundred ways, but they're probably best left for indoors, Michelle. Or summer."

Conceding that point she pulled away, dipping her fingers into his pocket for the key to her front door. She'd pulled on work out clothes that didn't have any pockets, preferring to just hand the keys over to him. He was pretty sure she did it just so she could have carte blanche access to his pockets.

Slinging his arm around her waist, he drew her in, sliding his cheek along hers. "Ya wanna warn me before you do that next time?" he growled.

Her breath was hot against his ear. "Not particularly," she hummed.

Grinning widely she stepped backward, reaching for his hands and tugging him toward her apartment.

"Don't trip," he advised, biting the corner of his lip. Michelle stuck her tongue out at him, still tugging him along the path.

"I have excellent balance, I'll have you know."

That is, until she slipped. She would've landed on her butt if not for the fact that he hauled her against him.

"Graceful," he quipped, wrapping his arms around her torso. "You okay?"

Michelle nodded, resting her cheek on his shoulder. "I'll be fine."

"There are warmer places to do this," he reminded teasingly, feeling her heart beat firmly against his chest. Really he was fine; he wasn't that cold, he had a beautiful woman in his arms, and the unsettled way he'd felt earlier had passed. "Say, what're you doing tomorrow night?" he prompted, fingering one of the curls lying on the collar of her shirt.

She pretended to think. "Mmm, I think my boyfriend wanted me to come over. So I figured I'd do that and after he's asleep I'd sell some state secrets and maybe try my hand at corporate espionage."

Her sense of humor was so strange sometimes. "Yeah, you're hilarious, Michelle."

"I know," she winked. "What'd you have in mind?"

He shrugged, nuzzling her neck. "We leave work early, drive down to San Diego for the weekend, find a beach to sleep on and have sex all night, then get a fancy hotel and spend the rest of the time getting sand out of the hard to reach spots."

She laughed, hand slipping into his hair. "Sounds like a plan to me. You think Mason will cover for us?"

"I think I can convince him."

Michelle pressed against him. "Good."

He grinned when she pulled away, holding onto his hand and tugging him up the stairs.

She turned her head, giving him a cocky smile. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for bed. I'm eager to get to tomorrow."


	10. Beaches and Bathtubs

Okay, so I had a virus on my computer for the entire month of December, which was, quite frankly, awful. While that harddrive (and the 6 stories waiting on it) was out of commission, I tried to whip this one up. Unfortunately, it also took forever to finish, because it's not exactly something I could write as I sat around the fire. ;) Hopefully you guys haven't forgotten about me during my hiatus!

Title: Beaches and Bathtubs

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida

Word Count: 2,672

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Tony and Michelle take that trip they were talking about.

Author's Notes: Finally! I have another new Under Your Skin story for you guys. Takes place just after 'Looking to Tomorrow'.

* * *

"This isn't working."

For some reason those three words made him chuff, and she wasn't entirely sure why. They were curled up under a blanket on the beach, freezing their asses off. Apparently when Tony proposed their impromptu getaway, he hadn't remembered that it was March and that meant it was still _cold_. The sand beneath them was cold, the air around them was cold; only he was warm, and even the lure of his heat wasn't enough to convince her to show a little skin and make good on the plan to spend all night having sex on the beach.

"What's not?" he growled, tugging her against him tighter, fingers cold underneath her shirt. "Are you breaking up with me, Michelle? 'Cause that'll make for an awkward drive home."

She laughed, warming her face in his shoulder for just a minute. "I'm breaking up with your plan to sleep out here. I'd like for us both to keep all of our extremities if you catch my meaning."

He made a huffy sound, but nodded. "Yeah, I getcha."

Michelle grinned. "Does this mean we can just skip to the fancy hotel? Heater, comfy bed, room service, big fluffy bathrobes?"

Stretching above him, she shivered when the breeze hit her face. Yeah, nobody was getting any out here. Leaning closer so that their breath mingled, she kissed him lightly, teasing the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip. Tony hummed, his fingers twining in her hair and warmly sealing his mouth to hers.

"You make quite the point, Miss Dessler."

She nodded, nuzzling his nose. "I know. I'm remarkably logical sometimes."

"Just one thing," he argued, hand firmly holding the back of her neck. "You've gotta get a little sandy, sorry sweetheart."

She heard herself squeal when he tugged the blanket to one side and flipped her onto her back, depositing her into the soft, squishy sand. The cold, soft, squishy sand.

"Tony Almeida, I hate you."

He laughed cockily, nuzzling her jaw with his lips. "I don't believe you."

"That's okay, I don't believe me either."

Still he made no move to let her up, instead pressing her down into the sand even further, body firmly against hers. His lips slid down her neck, suckling gently on her skin, reminding her of just a week before when he'd accidentally left a mark. It was the first hickey she'd gotten since high school, which had been both mortifying and amusing when the youngest analyst on their team had cornered her and pointed it out. Then two days later Mason had spoken to Tony. She was beginning to get the idea that maybe they weren't as subtle as they'd thought.

"If you give me another hickey, Tony, it'd better be gone by Monday," she warned, the statement holding no real threat to it with the way she arched against him.

"I'll keep that in mind," he rumbled, his hand caressing her side. "You sure you want to go? I'm not really that cold anymore."

She wasn't either, but she didn't want to admit that. Sex on the beach could wait until summer.

"I'm sure. Besides, I think beach patrol might have something to say about it too. One of them's been eyeing us for the last five minutes."

He pulled back, squinting in the darkness to a point in the distance. "Are you a bat or something? How the hell did you see that?"

She laughed. "Night vision contacts honey. All the girls have them now."

His mouth landed against hers, opening her lips insistently.

"You're gonna be so hard to shop for come Christmas, aren't you?"

Nipping at his mouth, she shrugged, sighing melodramatically. "I'm so high maintenance, I'm sorry."

Tony just shook his head. "I'll live. Come on, sweetheart, let's get out of here."

He slid to one side, backing up onto his knees before getting to his feet. Silently he held out his hand to her, tugging her up and back into his embrace. She felt his hands sift through her hair, smoothing the wind-tangled strands. Michelle lifted her face, brushing her lips over his jaw. She was pretty sure she could stand like this all night, wrapped up in his arms, lips pressed against his skin.

"Ready?" he nudged.

"Yeah," she murmured, stooping to collect the blanket and her purse. Tony's hand wrapped around hers, swinging their arms between them. "Thanks for bringing me here."

Tony shrugged it off, squeezing her hand quickly. "Sorry I forgot it was still winter."

She stepped closer to him, turning his face to hers. "That just means we'll have to come back," she whispered, pecking his lips lightly. When he nodded, she grinned. "Race ya to the car."

She drew the bath while he answered the door for room service, staying in the steamy bathroom until Tony tapped on the wall, indicating that the coast was clear. With a smile, she stuck her head outside, watching him pour two glasses of her favorite red wine.

"Why don't you bring the bottle, too?" she suggested, watching him start. "That way we don't have to go too far to get a refill."

He sent a nod her way, holding out the bottle for her to take while he balanced the glasses and grabbed one of the other platters too.

"What's that?" Michelle asked, eyeing the remaining items on the tray curiously. They'd agreed to keep the order to a minimum, just to keep costs down. Tony slid past her, dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. That's dinner. This is just a snack."

He looked her over. "You're not naked." There was a hint of a pout in his voice, making her laugh.

"Neither are you."

"Didn't want to scar the bellhop for life, Michelle," he quipped, setting their glasses down and tugging her close. His hands slid under her waistband, pushing her panties down her hips and to the floor. Her lips quirked into a grin; he was not very subtle sometimes.

"Wanna take care of the rest, too? Or are you leaving that for me?" she teased, tugging lightly on his shirt before making quick work of the buttons and shoving it away from his shoulders.

Tony smiled, ducking his head and kissing her shoulder again. "Whichever gets you out of it faster."

Soon enough she was stepping into the steaming tub, wondering momentarily if she should add some cooler water. A sweat was already starting to break out along her brow and she reached for one of the washcloths beside her to wipe it away.

"You do realize I want to have children at some point, right? Is this bath going to change that goal for me?"

Trying not to analyze his humor too much, she scooted forward to add cooler water to the tub. He was probably being facetious anyway. At some point didn't necessarily mean any time soon, and it didn't necessarily mean he meant with her. And either way it didn't matter, because they weren't there yet. Really.

"There, your future children should be safe now," she shot back, turning the water off.

Tony passed the wine glasses he was holding to her and lifted a foot, sliding his leg gingerly into the water. His hiss meant she hadn't made it too cold, but he didn't otherwise complain as he settled in the large tub behind her, reaching out to draw her between his spread legs. She passed his wine glass over and they each took a slow sip.

"Good?" he asked quietly, though she wasn't sure to what exactly he was referring. The wine was delicious, the bath was fantastic, and the company was the best of it all.

"Very."

Tony hummed, nuzzling her hair away from her neck and kissing her there. "Glad to hear it."

Smiling even though he couldn't see it, she let her head drop back against his. "I love you, you know?"

Tony chuckled at the reminder, tightening his arm around her torso. His skin was warm from the water. "I love you, too," he murmured.

"So you're planning on feeding me then? Because usually when guys love me, they feed me before I starve to death," she teased.

"Gads, you are high maintenance," he muttered, punctuating his joke with a soft kiss below her ear. "Here, have some strawberries."

His first attempt to feed her resulted in the strawberry hitting below her nose, whipped cream and all. Water sloshed over the side of the bathtub as they laughed and twisted around so their lips could meet and he could lick the whipped cream from her skin. Once she was facing him, he tried again, this time offering the strawberry to her lips.

Sweetness exploded in her mouth and her eyes closed in amazement as she bit back a groan. She'd forgotten just how _good_ strawberries could taste. Every time she got them, they just sat in her refrigerator until they were almost too old, and she ended up throwing them away. But these, these were fresh, sweet and juicy, and possibly better tasting than anything she'd had in weeks.

Once the strawberry was gone, she reached for his hand before he could pull away, licking the pads of his fingers softly, just to get any of the juice that might be clinging to his skin. Tony's breathing quickened at her shoulder, and she lifted her chin, kissing him again slowly. His tongue slid against hers, and she realized he tasted like whipped cream.

He had her lower lip between his teeth when they parted for air. Touching his chin gently, she pulled away.

"Your turn," she whispered, reaching for a strawberry from the platter.

He bit into the fruit with an easy grin, chewing slowly and licking his lips before asking for the rest. She nodded, popping the strawberry into his mouth and reaching for another for herself.

His fingers tickled across her belly underneath the water, making her jump. Pressing closer, she giggled and slid her arms around his neck, drawing his mouth back to hers.

"What was that for?" she murmured, lifting her hand into his hair and scratching his head gently. His hands slid down her sides to grip her hips and tug her down onto his lap, his arousal brushing against her.

"I think you know what," he growled, nipping lightly at her mouth. "You and your foodgasm face."

"I like strawberries." She shrugged, a grin taking over. Tony's hands slid up her back, leaving wet trails once they emerged from the water.

"I like you," he replied, cupping her breasts in his warm hands. His thumbs teased her nipples, drawing a soft sigh from her. She arched into his touch, dropping her hand between their bodies and stroking him lightly. Tony sucked in a breath at that.

She touched his mouth with hers teasingly. "I think you like that, too."

"I think you're right," Tony agreed in a low voice, pinching her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. His lips touched her damp collarbone, tongue darting out to taste the thin sheen of sweat the hot water and their combined body heat had produced.

She moaned when his slick fingers dipped between her legs, stroking her sex with gentle tugs. His lips curved against her skin, suckling gently at her collarbone. He knew just how to tease her; just how to caress and kiss to send sparks throughout her body.

Water splashed against the side of the tub again as she shifted, stroking his cock and leaning into him, kissing his neck and lapping at his Adam's apple. She felt his groan through his skin and they mutually increased the speed of their caresses.

Her fingers clenched in his hair as his thumb brushed her clit, bringing her closer to the brink.

"Wait wait wait," she squirmed in his arms, circling her index finger around the tip of his penis to steal his attention. He groaned and focused on her, his eyes glassy and aroused, but mostly focused on her.

Smiling, she brushed her lips across his. "I've never had sex in the bathtub before," she murmured conversationally.

Tony grinned, caressing her gently. "We'll fix that now."

It took a little rearranging, but just a few moments later, she was sinking down onto him, feeling his heat and his hardness fill her. He felt so good inside her.

His fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her head closer and trapping her lips in a kiss. Her knees slid against the porcelain tub as her thighs brushed his and she rocked against him. The water around them was rapidly growing tepid, but he was so warm she barely noticed.

She slipped around the first couple of times she tried to move, but with his help and his hands on her waist, she lifted up slowly, sinking back down on his length. Tony grunted his approval and his fingers tightened against her flesh. Dipping her head, she let their lips touch as she lifted her hips again. The rhythm was easy, languid. Gentle thrusts from him as she rose. The tub might be big enough for them to sit, but it was still narrow enough that their movements were somewhat hindered.

Slow and steady fell by the wayside as his hands slid around her back and up her torso, fingers rolling her nipples, making her groan and sink a little harder, a little faster. More water splashed over the edge of the tub and onto the floor as Tony shifted his feet, pushing his hips up just enough to make her gasp. She clutched at his shoulders, feeling herself shake at the new angle. With every thrust, she was grinding against his pubic bone, sending shocks of pleasure through her limbs. She could feel Tony panting against her neck, and hear the low grunts from exertion they both were making.

"You're close, aren't you?" she breathed as another wave swept through her body. She was so close, so so close. Tony nodded, suckling gently on her collarbone. He was close. She could feel it just in the way his hips were jerking forcefully against her own. She clenched around him, fingers gripping his shoulders tightly.

Abruptly, Tony pinched one of her nipples, sending her sprawling over the edge, her face buried in his shoulder to muffle her moans. He came just moments later, gasping her name into her throat. Squeezing him, she slowed their frantic motions to a gentle rock, easing them both back down, letting them catch their breath.

Finally, Tony spoke. "Damn, Michelle."

Lifting her face from his shoulder, she smoothed the red mark she'd made on his skin with her thumb. Now she'd finally given him a hickey, too. Immediately, he grabbed her by the back of the head, pulling her mouth to his and slipping his tongue between her lips.

"Damn is right," she replied breathlessly, savoring the feeling of him inside her, beneath her, around her, before they declared their bath over. "Is there even any water left in the tub?"

"Nah, I think you sloshed it all out," Tony's voice was teasingly flippant, making her smile and swat lightly at his back.

"Pretty sure you had something to do with that," she murmured, giving him one last kiss before separating from him and gingerly getting to her feet. He gave her a strange look as she toed open the drain and let what was left of their bathwater recede, but didn't comment. Reaching out, she helped him up as well, and they stood, ankle deep, in lukewarm water.

His arms slipped around her, lips moving across her cheek. She leaned against him, closing her eyes as her body started thinking about getting some rest.

"You're probably right," he admitted, his voice rough. "They can send me a bill if it's a problem."

And with that, he stepped out of the bathtub, and scooped her out as well, managing to splash just a little more water all over the place.


	11. Take It Or Leave It

**Title**: Take It or Leave It

**Fandom**: 24

**Characters**: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida

**Word Count**: 5,720

**Rating**: Overall NC-17

**Summary**: The Fight. Can it be overcome?

**Author's Notes**: I like to think of this as Day 2 (or its aftermath), Under Your Skin style.

* * *

"I take it this means you aren't coming in," Michelle Dessler remarked quietly from beside him. He'd pulled into a parking space in front of her building, but hadn't killed the engine yet.

The attempt on the president's life had meant he'd been forced to call her back in after she'd already left with her brother. Even though the new shift had been briefed, he'd needed all the hands he could get, and so she'd come back, stashed Danny somewhere, and gone back to work. When it was finally over, or as over as it could be when the leader of the country was in critical condition in an undisclosed hospital and there were no leads as to who had put him there, he'd grabbed his jacket from the locker room and perched on the edge of her desk. Thankfully, the bitch from Division had left with Chappelle and the action didn't garner any undue scrutiny.

He'd volunteered to drop her brother (and her, if she'd wanted) off at home. It would save cab fare and keep her from driving when she was clearly so exhausted. Of course, the more he thought about it, the offer had been both selfless and selfish. With Danny in the car, they didn't have to talk; something that hadn't been a problem for them since the day they started dating.

He rubbed the side of his face. His head was aching again, his ankle too, and he regretted ditching the boot prematurely. He wanted to fall into bed and sleep for about two days. He didn't want to think about the previous day, and how stupid he'd been to believe that she wouldn't jump as soon as Jack Bauer snapped his fingers, or that she'd never be able to lie to his face so cavalierly. He didn't want to worry over how many other things she'd lied to him about.

"I think I should probably head home."

Michelle looked as if he'd kicked her. "Tony-"

He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "Not now, Michelle. Just, not now."

She looked around the dark parking lot, biting her lip gently. Almost immediately, he regretted his sharp tone. He'd implied earlier that everything was behind them. He'd _thought_ earlier that everything was behind them. And yet he was still pushing her away.

"Hey," he added quietly, touching her cheek softly. "I'll call you in the morning, okay?"

She sniffed, wiping her eyes and nodding. "Okay. Okay." She unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her bag. He watched her finger the handle of her purse before she took a deep breath and looked up at him.

"I-" she seemed to be searching for something to say. "Drive safe, you're exhausted."

He nodded. "I will."

He didn't mean to turn away when she leaned across the console to kiss him, it just happened. Mouth agape, Michelle tore out of the car before he could apologize. He watched her go, waiting to leave until she had disappeared into her apartment, throwing a sad glance over her shoulder. For a split second, he contemplated following her and apologizing, but in the end he put the jeep in reverse and sped out of her complex.

It wasn't exhaustion that had him distracted on his drive, and when he finally got home and into bed, he wasn't able to sleep. Instead, he tossed and turned, and reached out every few minutes to draw her back into his embrace, only to find that she wasn't there.

He woke just before noon the next day, his body aching without the adrenaline that'd kept him going the day before. His first instinct was to roll over, run his hand up her spine and nuzzle her until she agreed to be the one to make coffee, but he stopped himself just shy of encountering cold mattress. Groaning, he dragged himself out of bed, testing his ankle to make sure it would support him before he padded to the bathroom to relieve himself and get some aspirin.

He found himself rolling one of Michelle's hair ties between his fingers as he brushed his teeth. He needed to call her. It wasn't something he was entirely looking forward to, but he'd promised.

He still waited until the coffee had kicked in, and his head wasn't throbbing quite so badly to reach for the phone. He settled on the couch and flicked the remote at the tv, turning the volume on low just to give himself a distraction while he dialed her number. Technically he could have used the speed dial - she'd usurped his parents for the first spot – but the act of dialing gave him time to think.

"Hey," she answered on the second ring, sounding relieved.

"Hey," he echoed.

"I wasn't sure you were going to call," she murmured finally. He felt a brief stab of shame at that. She probably knew he hadn't wanted to.

"I just woke up," he replied, the excuse sounding lame even in his head. Scrunching down in his seat, he shifted the phone. "How long have you been awake?"

He imagined her shrugging. "Couple of hours. I couldn't sleep."

He hummed. He knew the feeling.

"I uh, kept having nightmares."

Her voice was small, and he felt a little guiltier for leaving her alone after a day like that. He should have gone after her.

"Michelle-"

She cut him off. "No, I understand why you didn't want to stay. You, I, I screwed up yesterday. I went behind your back, I lied to you, and I'm sorry."

"But," he interjected, knowing her well enough to know she had more to say.

"But you took Carrie's word over mine and-"

"I took the word of every expert we had on hand, Michelle. Did you expect me to take your gut feeling over their proof? Because we're sleeping together?"

"Well, no, but, you _know_ me, Tony. You know I don't try to rock the boat for silly reasons."

He sat forward, cutting her off as if she was in the room with him. "You know it wasn't personal. I didn't do it to spite you; I made the call that was supported by the evidence."

"And you should have trusted me enough to get you different evidence," she interrupted passionately. "That was all I was trying to do."

"By going behind my back with Jack," he snapped.

He heard her sigh. "Come on, Tony, you make it sound like he seduced me into betraying you."

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't be the first time," he retorted before he really had the chance to contemplate what he was saying.

Michelle's intake of breath was sharp in his ear. "That's not fair," she whispered, making him realize exactly what he'd just done, the line he'd just crossed.

"Michelle-"

"No," she stopped him. "I'm sorry, Tony. I was doing what I thought was right; I was doing what _was_ right. Maybe I went about it the wrong way, but we'd be at war right now if I hadn't. _You're_ the one that told Carrie to spy on me, because you don't trust me, still. I've done nothing but try to prove to you over and over again that I love you and I'm on your side. Why can't you believe me?"

He didn't have an answer for that. He didn't really believe what he'd said, it'd just come out. But the damage was done. She was right, anyway, before yesterday she'd never given him a reason not to trust her. It was his own fault that somewhere deep he still didn't.

"I don't know," he answered finally.

Michelle sniffled in his ear. "Then why don't you call me when you figure it out?"

He was contemplating a dial tone before he could even react.

As if work wasn't crazy enough, he had to resign himself to going through it with Michelle mad at him. She'd hung up on him on Wednesday morning and hadn't answered the phone for the rest of the day when he called. Of course, he hadn't been able to bring himself to swallow his pride and go to her, so he'd chosen to let things be. Which he knew was a bad move, but somehow it was easier than going through it all again with her.

His first thought when he saw her Thursday was that she looked exhausted. He wondered how much sleep she'd gotten, if it was anywhere near as little as he'd managed to steal. Still, he felt tongue-tied when it came time for him to ask her and instead of letting him speak, she took her tasks and clipped out of the conference room. She managed to make herself busy for each subsequent attempt. She didn't even look his way when she left for the day, and he went home and slept fitfully again that night.

He decided on Friday to try one more time after he'd finally punched out for the day, going down to her station and perching his hip beside her keyboard. She jumped, looking him in the eye for the first time since Tuesday night in his car, showing him that she'd probably been crying, and definitely hadn't been sleeping. She looked like hell, just like he felt.

"Can we talk?" he asked finally, fighting the urge to wrap her up and carry her home and beg for her forgiveness.

"Sure," she murmured flatly, looking away.

"In private?" he added after a couple of minutes ticked by in silence. "If you're hungry, we could get something to eat," he added.

Michelle nodded, logging out of her system and reaching for her purse. He followed her out silently, hoping she would agree to take one car – he guessed she'd caught a ride from someone on Wednesday to retrieve her car from the CTU lot – but she produced her keys and looked at him expectantly.

"Where do you want to go?"

He thought for a minute. "Rightys?"

She blinked, looking away. He'd just suggested the place they'd gone on their first date.

"Okay," she agreed, unlocking her car with the remote. "I'll follow you."

He stopped her quickly, brushing his thumb across her elbow. Just the simple touch made them both jump.

"Ride with me, Michelle. I'll bring you back for your car."

She softened a little, leaning into his touch almost imperceptibly. "Fine."

Their conversation on the ride to the diner was mostly shop, and even that was strained. The repairs to the building had already started, but they were going to take close to a month before they were completed. In the mean time, Chappelle wanted him to start thinking about the logistics of restructuring the organization. He'd already put in his recommendations for personnel shifting; he was planning on bringing Michelle on in his old position – she'd been doing his old job and hers for the last few days anyway – and he wanted to make sure she had a say in the new people they brought on board. She didn't seem too surprised by that admission, though she did thank him quietly.

"No Carries, right?" she hastened to ask. He nodded.

"No Carries. I've got Chappelle sending over his list of candidates, and then we can create our own list of interested applicants, and go from there. He gets final say, but I think we can come to a compromise."

That seemed to help, and he saw her shoulders relax a little. Beyond the fact that part of her new job description involved dealing with newly acquired employees, he wanted her to be in the loop. He trusted her, and he had to do something to prove that to her.

He saw her lips twitch slightly as he scrambled around the car to open the door for her, but she let him help her out, taking her hand back almost as quickly as she'd given it to him. She held the door open for him, sharing a small smile with him. There was no wait to be seated, and they were able to give their orders moments later. He smiled; they'd ordered the same things on their first date.

Once they were finally alone, she looked at him anxiously. He bit his lip. He hadn't really thought of what he was actually going to say after he got her talking to him again. She didn't even look angry anymore, just guarded.

"Still having nightmares?" he asked quietly. Michelle nodded, brushing her hand under her nose. "Bad ones?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes."

"Wanna tell me about them?" he asked.

Michelle hesitated for a second before nodding. "I keep having the same three; the country's at war, the bomb going off over LA," she paused. "You're hurt, like Paula, in the explosion at work." He saw her lips tremble and she accepted his comfort when he offered it, holding his fingers tightly. He'd had that same nightmare, imagining her as the one on the gurney, the one bleeding, the one whose life he had to sacrifice for the greater good.

"Me too," he admitted, brushing the webbing between her fingers with his thumb. "We're both okay, though."

Michelle nodded. "It's hard without you there when I wake up."

He could say the same, and he did. Michelle just looked sad at that, which made his gut clench; what were they doing to each other?

"Do you have a pen?" he asked finally, earning a confused blink in response. Seconds later she passed a ballpoint pen to him.

He felt her watching him as he wrote down a series of numbers on a napkin. Her brow furrowed when he passed it over.

"Tony?" she asked in that tone that clearly said she thought he'd lost his mind.

"I trust you, Michelle," he promised, reaching across the table and taking her hand again. "I know what I said and what I did, but I trust you with everything. That's my social security, bank account and every major credit card number I have, anything you want to do with them, you're welcome to."

She snorted, shaking her head and passing it back to him. "You're missing the point, Tony. The point is, deep down, you still think I'd go against you the same way she did."

He shook his head, grabbing her fingers before she could pull away. "I-"

"Don't tell me you don't think that," she retorted, tugging her hand back. "You don't say anything you don't mean, Tony. And it seemed pretty damn believable when you said it the other day."

He took a deep breath. "That's because I'm an idiot. And you were right."

Her cheek twitched, and he slid out of the booth, crossing to her side and squatting. He wasn't quite him on his knees, but he was pretty close. "I wasn't thinking at all. I let my mouth go before my brain the other morning. I don't think you're like her at all, I _know_ you're not like her at all. I'm sorry, Michelle. I love you and I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Michelle looked around; he guessed checking for onlookers, before meeting his gaze. Her eyes were red again, damp, and stretched his hand out, wiping her tears away. He'd never seen her cry before, not even during sappy movies. He didn't want to see her cry ever again.

She said nothing for far longer than he would've liked. For those interminably long moments he feared that the damage was already done, that she'd say no and send him packing completely, and then she nodded slowly.

"I just want to put this week behind us," she whispered, cupping his cheek. "Can we do that? Just forget about the other day, chalk it up to stress and nerves and everything that wasn't about us at all."

He turned his face toward her arm, pressing his mouth against her wrist and nodding. He wanted that more than anything.

Michelle lifted his chin, smiling a shaky smile.

"I think our waitress is amused by you," she murmured, reaching for his other hand and tugging him up beside her. His hand slid into her hair automatically, forehead dropping onto hers as he fused their mouths together. God, he'd missed her. Even after less than 72 hours. He'd missed her laugh, the sweetness of her kiss, the way she found humor even in the darkest situations.

As he nuzzled her cheek with his nose, she giggled. "You should have seen your face, Tony. I almost wanted to make you stay there a little longer. Nobody's ever gotten down on their knees and begged me to take them back before."

He shook his head. "Believe me, sweetheart, I can do much better things from my knees."

She kissed him again. "I'm looking forward to that."

His fingers laced with hers. They hadn't yet had a fight big enough to warrant make-up sex, now it seemed as if they had. "Get dinner to go and we can get to it even sooner."

She nodded, leaning against him. "And then maybe we can both get a good night's sleep."

His mouth touched her temple. "Eventually."

Her hands were shaking as she tried to get the key in the lock, making her chuckle a little at her own expense before releasing a heavy sigh. She was a mess.

Tony's lips touched her neck softly, the tip of his nose teasing a path up to her ear where she felt his tongue lightly flick her earlobe, the same way she always did to him to drive him crazy.

"I'm a little nervous," she admitted, trying and failing again to unlock her front door. Tony hummed, and one of his hands covered hers, steadying it long enough to turn the key and let them into her apartment.

"Why are you nervous?" he rumbled, following her inside and shutting the door, locking it behind him.

She dropped her purse onto the floor underneath her bar and turned to face him again. The look in his eyes was intent, and she smoothed her hands down the front of her skirt, just to give them something to do. Tony caught the gesture, taking a step forward even as she took a step back. Her back hit the edge of the bar, and she watched as Tony's lips turned downward a little. Instead of speaking, he raised his arm, reaching over and dropping the bag with their untouched meals on the counter. Returning his attention to her, he sidled a little deeper into her space.

"Why are you nervous?" he repeated, lifting his hand to touch her cheek.

"I could have sworn we were over," she confessed softly, leaning into the hand he brought to her face. "After what we both said and did, I guess I resigned myself to waiting a few weeks before taking your things back to you and going on my way."

He shook his head. "I wouldn't have let you go."

She shook her head. "You can't promise that, Tony. You were so mad, _I _was so mad. I guess I was afraid it wasn't worth-"

The gentle press of his lips cut her off. It was the same soft kiss he'd given her hundreds of times before, but she heard herself moan as his tongue flicked at her bottom lip. She felt his hand slide into her hair, holding her head to his as their mouths slid wetly over one another and her own hands reached between them to pull his hips tighter against hers. She felt him growl slightly as he deepened the kiss, swiping his tongue inside her mouth, tracing her teeth.

The counter bit the back of her shoulders, but she made no move to change where they were standing, instead wrapping one arm around Tony's back, encouraging him to press into her harder. One of his hands slid around her waist, toying with the edge of her shirt before moving to the small of her back and pressing warmly against her skin. She mewled when the hand pulled away, but arched when it returned, touching her breast through her shirt, kneading gently.

She broke the kiss, sucking air into her lungs as quickly as she could. Tilting her head slightly, she saw his eyes were dark, glassy, so sexy and aroused. She kissed him again, a hand worming between them to caress his arousal through his slacks. Tony groaned, fingers tightening on her breast. The hand that had been in her hair moved to her backside. She felt him bunching her skirt in his fist, tugging the fabric upwards until the tops of her thighs were exposed.

"We never got my car," she realized, laughing when he rolled his eyes and bunched her skirt higher.

"I think it'll be safe where it is."

He kissed her firmly once more, driving any thoughts of, well, driving back to CTU to get it out of her head. His hand left her breast, sliding down her stomach to pull her skirt up over her hips and push her underwear down. She shuddered when he dropped down in front of her, helping her step out of her panties and tossing them over his shoulder.

His hands circled her ankles gently, sliding up to squeeze her calves before continuing higher. His breath was hot against her bare thighs and her hand immediately drifted down to latch onto his hair. She squeaked when he gripped her ass and moaned when he used his hold to tug her core down to his mouth.

"Oh! Oh," she gasped at the first lick. Her knees felt weak as his tongue made long sweeps across her center and his hands helped the rocking motion her hips had settled into. She ground against him, pressing down firmer on his face, encouraging him to nuzzle his nose across her flesh. "Right there," she whispered, knowing he didn't need to be directed. He probably didn't need the verbal acknowledgement at all, because she bucked against him at the contact.

His hands squeezed her ass gently, getting her to relax. Her knees bent and his hands pulled her closer, his lips and tongue still driving her to distraction. Reaching back, she gripped the counter as each new slide of his tongue sent shudders down her spine and threatened to send her sprawling to the ground.

Tony grinned as she panted his name, humming into her flesh and making her stiffen again. Her hand tightened in his hair, keening for more.

"Don't stop," she pleaded, feeling her toes curl in her shoes. His hands tightened, holding her firmly to keep her from bucking away. She was so close.

Abruptly, he pulled her even closer, flicking his tongue in quicker intervals. Her grip on the counter tightened and she clamped down on her lip to keep herself from crying out too loudly. The last thing she needed was for the neighbors to come banging on the door because she'd woken their kids up with her loud sexual escapades. She'd already gotten a note about it – anonymous, even though she knew exactly who it was from – but only once. It wasn't something she cared to repeat. Nobody needed to know exactly how easily Tony could send her flying.

And fly she did. Her fingers had a death grip on his hair and his pace never slowed as he pushed her over the edge with sharp flicks of his tongue. Somehow he was able to keep her from falling over completely as her knees went weak. His ministrations slowed, riding out her release with her before he pulled away and kissed his way back to her mouth.

One of his hands covered hers, prying it off the bar and rubbing her tense knuckles gently. She watched him bring her fingers to his lips, kissing them softly.

"I'm sorry," he murmured again. She could tell it wasn't an apology for his gentleness, or for giving her an earth-shattering orgasm without even removing her skirt, or even for the fact that she'd probably drawn blood biting her lip, but once more for the fight.

She grinned, sliding her hand through his hair again, tugging his lips to hers gently. "I think I can accept an apology like that."

The hand that was still on her butt tightened. "Good."

"Mmm," she whispered, kissing him softly again. "Then that means it's my turn to apologize."

She pulled away slightly, kissing the corner of his mouth before sliding her lips down his jaw to his neck. His stubble tickled her cheek and she brushed closer, listening to their skin rasp together.

"I'll even let you take all your clothes off," she murmured teasingly, flicking her tongue lightly across his neck, tasting what remained of his soap and his aftershave.

Tony chuckled. "I just couldn't wait that long. The unbuttoning and unzipping, not even worth it."

Disentangling their hands, she slid her fingers down his chest, stopping at the buckle of his belt. Giving it a gentle tug, she lifted her face back to his.

"How bout I make it worth it this time?"

His thumb brushed the back of her thigh. "I think that sounds fair."

Pulling back just slightly, she reached for the buttons on her own blouse, freeing each one slowly. The look in Tony's eyes made her fingers shake, but she peeled the lapels apart and let it drop to the floor. Tony's head dropped and he kissed her collar, moving lower and nuzzling his nose across the curve of her breast. His hands joined hers in unhooking her bra and guiding the straps down and off her arms. His lips touched her skin again, making her giggle and lift his face.

"I thought I was the one who was apologizing now," she murmured, kissing him softly.

"Oh, you are," he replied, helping her with the skirt he'd bunched around her waist. "I don't remember the last time a girl's apology to me involved me getting to see her naked."

She laughed, her hands landing on his chest and reaching for his shirt. Her fingers made quick work of his buttons and she pushed it off his shoulders, her mouth sliding across his chin and dipping to the hollow of his throat. She felt his groan buzz through his skin and smiled, skimming her hands down his chest, flicking his nipples lightly between her fingers. Tony's hips bumped hers, his slacks rubbing her bare skin.

Taking the hint, she lowered her hands to his belt again, loosening the leather and opening the buckle. She caressed him through his pants again before opening the button and lowering the zipper, pushing the fabric down his hips to the floor. The move would have been fine if he hadn't still been wearing his shoes.

"See, it's just so much work," he teased, toeing off his shoes and flinging them toward the wall before stepping out of his pants. She dropped her head onto his shoulder, smiling sheepishly. So much for her seduction.

He tugged her against him again; his arousal was still pressing insistently into her belly, reminding her that just a thin layer of cotton separated them. His hand landed in her hair, gently tilting her head back to where she could see his eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Tony."

He kissed her softly, dropping his head onto hers again, breathing her in. She squealed, breaking the quiet mood, when he reached down further and pinched her ass lightly.

Smacking his shoulder, she reached for his hand.

"This ledge is killing my back," she explained, slipping out from between him and the bar and attempting to lead him to the bedroom. "Come to bed." Tony shook his head, tugging her back against him.

"Not yet."

His mouth brushed her neck, making her shiver. "I want everything out of the way before your head touches that pillow in there."

She reached back to touch his neck, dragging his head back to hers, lips meeting his greedily. "I was just going to make your head spin so hard you forgot about it all. Your way's probably more long term," she murmured around a smile, pecking his lips and spinning in his arms. One of her hands moved down to his hip, tugging the elastic from his skin and sliding underneath the cotton.

His butt flexed under her hand and they both made an appreciative noise when his hips ground against her. Divesting him of his boxers silently, she took him in hand, stroking his cock slowly from root to tip.

"I am sorry," she whispered, kissing his chest. "I never wanted to break your trust, I swear it was the last thing I meant to happen. I just couldn't let them attack those countries-"

His hand touched her hair, and she felt him nuzzle a kiss across her forehead.

"You did the right thing, Michelle," he murmured, rocking his hips against her hands. "Going to Jack was the right thing."

Her thumb brushed the underside of his shaft, just below the head, and he groaned, his lips ghosting over her skin.

"What about now? Am I doing the right thing now?" she asked teasingly.

Instead of answering, Tony peeled her hand from his body, stalking forward and making her step behind her until her back hit the wall in the hallway. Her fingers connected with him again, sliding across his skin as he palmed her thigh, tugging her leg over his hip insistently. His fingers connected with her center again, teasing her easily back to a state that had her panting and squirming, distracted from her own ministrations.

His hand joined hers on his shaft, stroking slowly once more before guiding him to her entrance. Her arms wrapped around his back, fingers combing into his hair, lips landing against his as he slid inside her. They both grunted when she wrapped her other leg around his waist, feet crossing against his back.

"I think this is just the right thing, don't you?" he asked, dipping his head to kiss her neck, pulling out just far enough to be able to slide back into her deliciously slowly.

She nodded, arching against him, tugging him closer. "I think so," she breathed.

Tony kissed her softly, pushing into her again. "Good."

His rhythm was slow, in spite of the urgency she knew he was feeling, each slide more deliberate than the first. Each thrust left her squirming a little harder in his arms, panting a little harder against his mouth, pulling him a little deeper. She wanted to feel him everywhere, she wanted him to feel the same pleasure coil within himself as she was feeling.

And then he stopped, pinning her to the wall even tighter, his arms shaking from the effort to keep still. Blearily she lifted her head.

"Tony, wha-?"

He shook his head, kissing her slowly.

"You know, George said something to me before he left the last time on Tuesday," he began softly, making her realize he was serious. "He told me I would be a moron to ever let this, you, go. He was right."

She bit her lip, trying to keep a wave of sadness at bay and nodding gently. "He told me to find something that makes me happy and do it." She tugged him closer, a soft naughty smile tugging at her lips. "I think I can handle that."

Tony smirked, starting to move again slowly. "You think this was what he had in mind?" He punctuated his question with a short thrust, making her squeak.

"Oh, I'm sure he had some idea that it could be."

"Yeah," Tony murmured, brushing his nose up her neck. "You're not exactly subtle when you check me out during meetings."

"Me?" she laughed, shuddering when his hips sped up again. "You're the one who- oh!"

It was possibly his favorite way to win an argument, she knew; he knew just how to get her riled up and then steal her breath. Even if it meant she lost the debate, he also knew she secretly loved it when the only thing she could do was hang onto him as he brought them both to the edge.

She dropped her head back onto the wall, whispering for more, practically begging. His breath was coming in uneven puffs, sliding warmly across her neck as his hips snapped faster and faster.

And then she was there, sprawling over the edge with a low cry, gripping him tightly everywhere. Panting his name, she begged him to join her. A few short, shuddering strokes later, he did, tugging her hips as close to his as possible and filling her.

He lifted his head from her neck a couple minutes later, tugging her into an easy kiss.

"The other morning I told you it wasn't personal," he began slowly, pulling away and pressing a soft kiss to her collar. "It kind of was. They would've thought I took your word over theirs because of us and I didn't want that falling on me."

She nodded. "And I wanted you to take my side because of us," she admitted. "I was sure you'd side with me."

He kissed her collar again. "But since you were right, how 'bout I listen better next time?"

Her fingers brushed his hair back. "That'd be nice."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers lightly.

"Me too," she promised.

His arms tightened around her hips and she felt him release a heavy breath, as they let it all go. It was ridiculous how miserable she'd been without him for even just a few days. Hopefully it would never happen again.

"How 'bout we heat up our dinner now?" he suggested after another few minutes of silence.

"How 'bout you heat up our dinner and bring it to me in bed?" she countered with an easy smile.

Tony feigned annoyance. "I just did all the work, and now you want me to slave over a hot microwave?"

She giggled, palming his cheeks and kissing him lightly. "That's my offer, take it or leave it."

He kissed her back, reaching behind him and unlocking her legs from his waist. She slipped back down the wall until her feet were on the floor.

"Mmm, I'll take it, definitely."


End file.
